What to Eat with Fettuccine Alfredo – Chicken, Salad, Bread

How it works

What to eat with fettuccine Alfredo? Outside Italy the pasta is a main course, and chicken, shrimp or broccoli may be added. These 43 ideas start there, then add salads, breads, toppings and other things to eat with Alfredo sauce.

Read the full guide

A first course in Italy, a main course elsewhere

Fettuccine Alfredo is fettuccine tossed with butter and Parmesan until they melt into a sauce. It began in Rome. In Italy it is a first course with nothing added. Elsewhere it is the main course, and cream may thicken the sauce.

Build the plate

The sauce is rich and soft, so pick sides that are sharp, green or crisp. One thing to add, one salad and one bread is plenty. Lemon, pepper and fresh herbs on top keep each bite lively.

Cook the chicken or shrimp on its own and lay it over the pasta at the end, so the sauce stays smooth.

Questions and answers

What sides go with fettuccine Alfredo?

Caesar salad and garlic bread make the simplest pair. Steamed broccoli, sautéed spinach with garlic or a green salad with lemon vinaigrette put something sharp and green beside the pasta.

What protein goes with fettuccine Alfredo?

Grilled chicken breast, sliced over the top, or sautéed shrimp. Seared salmon, Italian sausage, lump crab meat or a breaded chicken cutlet all stand up to the sauce.

What vegetables go with fettuccine Alfredo?

Steamed broccoli first. Sautéed mushrooms, green peas and sautéed spinach with garlic stir in easily, and sun-dried tomatoes or caramelized onions add tang or sweetness.

What to eat with Alfredo sauce besides fettuccine?

Cheese tortellini, penne and potato gnocchi all hold it. It also goes over a baked potato, onto a white pizza in place of tomato, or through the strands of a spaghetti squash.

What do Italians eat with fettuccine Alfredo?

In Italy the pasta is a first course with nothing added, and bread is on the table. In a full meal a second course follows, such as roast chicken with lemon or grilled fish with lemon, and fresh pears can end it.

All 43 ideas

Chicken, shrimp and other things to add 6

Breaded chicken cutlet Crisp crumbs against the creamy sauce. Slice it and lay it beside the pasta.
Grilled chicken breast Sliced and fanned over the pasta.
Italian sausage Browned and sliced into coins.
Lump crab meat Folded in gently at the end so the pieces stay whole.
Sautéed shrimp Cooked fast in butter and garlic, then tossed through the fettuccine.
Seared salmon A fillet on top, or flaked into the sauce.

Vegetables 6

Caramelized onions Cooked slowly until brown and sweet, then stirred through.
Green peas A handful stirred in for sweetness and color.
Sautéed mushrooms Browned well in butter before they meet the sauce.
Sautéed spinach with garlic Wilted fast and piled beside the pasta.
Steamed broccoli Small florets tossed in at the end, still bright green.
Sun-dried tomatoes Chopped small. Their tang cuts through the butter and cheese.

Salads and breads 7

Antipasto platter Cured meats, cheese, olives and marinated vegetables to pick at first.
Breadsticks Plain ones, for dipping into the sauce.
Caesar salad Crisp romaine and a sharp dressing next to a soft, rich pasta.
Garlic bread For wiping the last of the sauce from the plate.
Garlic knots Soft and warm, brushed with garlic butter.
Green salad with lemon vinaigrette Keep the dressing tart to balance the cheese.
Italian chopped salad Lettuce, chickpeas, olives and peppers in a vinegar dressing.

On top 7

Chopped parsley A green scatter over each bowl.
Fresh basil Torn, not chopped, and added just before serving.
Freshly ground black pepper A few turns of the mill at the table.
Grated nutmeg The smallest pinch, stirred into the sauce.
Lemon zest Grated over the top to lift a rich sauce.
Red pepper flakes A pinch for a little heat.
Toasted breadcrumbs Sprinkled on last for crunch.

Other things under the sauce 6

Baked potato Split it and spoon the sauce over with broccoli.
Cheese tortellini Small stuffed pasta that holds the sauce in its folds.
Penne Bake it with the sauce and chicken under a layer of cheese.
Potato gnocchi Soft dumplings in the sauce, with peas or spinach.
Spaghetti squash Scrape the strands out with a fork and toss them in the sauce.
White pizza Spread the sauce on the dough in place of tomato.

Before and after, the Italian way 8

Biscotti Crisp, dry cookies to end the meal with coffee.
Chicken piccata A tart, lemony second course after the pasta.
Fresh pears Sliced at the table to finish.
Fried calamari Shared from one plate with lemon wedges.
Grilled fish with lemon A plain second course, with a vegetable beside it.
Lemon granita Icy and sharp after butter and cheese.
Prosciutto and melon A cold, light starter before a rich plate.
Roast chicken with lemon A second course after a small bowl of the pasta.

Drinks 3

Espresso, afterwards A small cup once the plates are cleared.
Lemon soda Tart, fizzy and cold.
Sparkling water with lemon Bubbles and a little acid to clear a creamy sauce.