Spicy Alfredo Pasta
If you are looking for an easy and delicious pasta recipe, this Spicy Alfredo Pasta is creamy, cheesy, and packed with just the right amount of spice! It’s made with simple ingredients like butter, heavy cream, milk, basic spices, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and your favorite pasta.
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Quick and Easy Spicy Alfredo Recipe
This Spicy Alfredo Pasta recipe is made with basic ingredients and comes together SO fast! It can be made in about 20 minutes and is packed with flavor!
Red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper adds a great level of heat to the Alfredo sauce. This Alfredo recipe is spicy, but the heat level can easily be adjusted to your liking by using less cayenne or red pepper flakes!
My family loves this pasta recipe because it’s an easy weeknight dinner, it can be made in 20 minutes or less, and it is easily customizable! Serve this Spicy Alfredo Pasta on its own with salad and bread sticks, or with my homemade chicken cutlets, grilled chicken, steak, or kielbasa!
If you are looking for more creamy pasta recipes, you’ll love my Homemade Chicken Alfredo, Smoked Sausage Alfredo Pasta, Garlic Parmesan Chicken Alfredo, and Marry Me Chicken Tortellini!
Ingredients
- Butter
- Red pepper flakes, cayenne, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning
- Minced garlic
- Heavy cream
- Whole milk
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Fettuccine (or any pasta)
Make Spicy Alfredo Pasta
To make this quick and easy Spicy Alfredo, start by boiling a pot of water over high heat. Once the water is boiling, cook 1 lb of pasta according to the directions on the package.
Once your pasta is cooked, be sure to reserve 2-3 tbsp of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and set aside.
Next, heat a large pan over medium-low heat.
Add salted or unsalted butter, red pepper flakes, and minced garlic. Stir and let cook for about 1 minute.
Add heavy cream, milk, cayenne, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to the skillet.
The cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes can easily be adjusted if you want to make this recipe more or less spicy!
Stir well and let simmer for about five minutes stirring occasionally.
Turn your heat down to low and slowly stir in freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
I’ve found that turning the heat down to low is important because it helps the sauce turn out nice and creamy! If the heat is too high it could cause your sauce to split.
It’s also really important to use freshly grated Parmesan cheese from a block for Alfredo sauce. The pre-shredded Parmesan cheese or shaker style Parmesan cheese both have anti-caking ingredients that could cause your sauce to clump together and not be as creamy.
I like to buy a big block of Parmesan cheese from Sam’s club and keep it in my refrigerator for recipes like this one. Be sure to finely grate your Parmesan cheese.
Add 2-3 tbsp of the reserved pasta water. Stir your sauce. Next, add 1 lb of cooked pasta to the Spicy Alfredo sauce and stir well.
I’ve found that adding the reserved pasta water will help the sauce cling to the pasta and can help create a smoother sauce without adding more cream.
Top with dried parsley, Parmesan cheese, and more red pepper flakes if desired!
Serve Spicy Alfredo Pasta
Once your pasta is well incorporated into the spicy Alfredo sauce, it’s time to eat! I served the Spicy Alferdo Pasta with my homemade chicken cutlets, a Caesar salad, and some bread sticks.
This Spicy Alfredo would be good with grilled chicken, steak, or even kielbasa, but it’s also delicious on its own!
Store any leftovers in an air tight container in the refrigerator. To reheat Spicy Alfredo Pasta, heat it in a pan on the stove over medium heat.
Add splashes of milk or heavy cream and keep stirring. The pasta should return to a creamy consistency once warm. This is the best way to reheat Alfredo-based sauces!
If you microwave the pasta the sauce may split.
Tips for Success
- It’s important to use freshly grated Parmesan cheese for this recipe! The pre-shredded or shaker style Parmesan cheese uses anti-caking ingredients that may cause your Alfredo to clump together. I buy a large block of Parmesan cheese from Sam’s club and always grate my own!
- Be sure to turn the heat down to low when adding your Parmesan cheese. This will help your sauce turn out creamy. If your pan gets too hot it could cause the sauce to separate.
- This Alfredo is spicy, but in my opinion not too spicy to still be able to enjoy the dinner! My kids like this recipe best when I use only 1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper instead of 1/4 tsp. You can omit the cayenne or use less red pepper flakes if you don’t want it as spicy.
- If you don’t find my Spicy Alfredo spicy enough, add more cayenne or red pepper flakes to taste!
- Fettuccine, Angel Hair, Cellentani, Rotini, or Rigatoni would all be good options for pasta for this recipe! You can really use any pasta you have in your pantry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Alfredo spicy?
Cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes are what makes this Alfredo sauce spicy!
Can you make Spicy Alfredo less spicy?
Yes, the seasonings can be adjusted in this recipe to make it less spicy! To make it less spicy use less cayenne pepper and/or red pepper flakes. My kids like this recipe best when I use 1/8 tsp of cayenne instead of 1/4 tsp.
What pasta is best for Alfredo?
I like fettuccine pasta for Spicy Alfredo, but you can use any pasta you have in your pantry! Angel Hair, Cellentani, Rigatoni, or Penne pasta would all be good options!
How do I store and reheat Spicy Alfredo Pasta?
Store leftovers in an air tight container in the refrigerator. I’ve found that the best way to reheat Alfredo-based sauces is in a pan on the stove. Heat the Spicy Alfredo pasta over medium heat and add splashes of milk or heavy cream and keep stirring. This will help your sauce return to a creamy consistency!
If you microwave Alfredo sauce it will usually split and not be as appetizing.
More Family Dinner Recipes
- Homemade Chicken Alfredo
- Smoked Sausage Alfredo Pasta
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken Alfredo
- Cheesy Chicken Alfredo Sliders
- Crockpot Marry Me Meatballs
- Marry Me Chicken Tortellini
- Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi
If you make my Spicy Alfredo Pasta I hope you love it! If you make the recipe please leave me a recipe rating or save this recipe to your Pinterest account!
Ingredients
- 1 lb fettuccine (or any pasta)
- 4 tbsp butter (salted or unsalted)
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp each smoked paprika, salt, and pepper
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp dried parsley
Instructions
- Heat a pot of water over high heat. Once boiling, cook 1 lb of pasta following the directions on the package. Be sure to reserve 2-3 tbsp of the pasta water. Once pasta is cooked, drain the pasta and set aside.
- Heat a large pan over medium-low heat. Add butter, red pepper flakes, and minced garlic. Stir and let cook for about 1 minute.
- Add heavy cream, milk, cayenne, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Stir well and let simmer for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Turn your heat down to low and slowly stir in freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Add 2-3 tbsp of pasta water. Stir the Spicy Alfredo sauce well.
- Add cooked pasta and stir until your pasta is well coated in Alfredo sauce. Top with dried parsley, Parmesan cheese, and more red pepper flakes! Enjoy!
Notes
- It’s important to use freshly grated Parmesan cheese for this recipe! The pre-shredded or shaker style Parmesan cheese use anti-caking ingredients that may cause your Alfredo to clump together. I buy a large block of Parmesan cheese from Sam’s club and always grate my own!
- Be sure to turn the heat down to low when adding your Parmesan cheese. This will help your sauce turn out creamy. If your pan gets too hot it could cause the sauce to separate.
- This Alfredo is spicy, but in my opinion not too spicy to still be able to enjoy the dinner! My kids like this recipe best when I use only 1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper instead of 1/4 tsp. You can omit the cayenne or use less red pepper flakes if you don’t want it as spicy.
- If you don’t find my Spicy Alfredo spicy enough, add more cayenne or red pepper flakes to taste!
- Fettuccine, Angel Hair, Cellentani, Rotini, or Rigatoni would all be good options for pasta for this recipe! You can really use any pasta you have in your pantry.