The Sweet Spice That Levels Up Store-Bought Alfredo Sauce

Creamy, thick, and just the right combination of sweet and savory, Alfredo sauce is in a league of its own. Whether you're using it in a classic pasta dish or in your own secret recipe, a homemade version is a real winner. But what about store-bought options? Is it possible to take an old-fashioned jar of sauce from the grocery store and turn it into something that tastes like it came out of your Nonna's kitchen? The answer is yes if you rely on a small but mighty spice: nutmeg. This one ingredient can take your Alfredo and other cream sauces to the next level.

Typically found on the ingredients list for holiday cookie baking, nutmeg actually has the right amount of bold sweetness and desired warmth to stand out in your Alfredo sauce. As delicious as cream sauces can be, they are a notoriously heavy mixture that can be overwhelming without something to break it up. 

Nutmeg does just that by adding some aromatic vibrance — especially helpful for store-bought jars that lose their fresh taste and need to be brought back to life. Most recipes recommend adding only a pinch of ground nutmeg — a little really goes a long way — but after tasting the way the nuttiness perfectly complements Alfredo's primary ingredients like parmesan cheese and cream, it'll no doubt be your go-to.

While adding nutmeg to your store-bought Alfredo sauce will give you a desired homemade flavor, the first step is to properly prep the sauce. One of the biggest mistakes to avoid when making a creamy pasta sauce is heating it too quickly. Start with a low temperature and allow it to heat up slowly so the cream and oil don't separate and get chunky. 

Once the sauce is warm, whisk in the nutmeg so it incorporates as the sauce fully thickens. You can also add more cream to help balance out any nutmeg overflow. But in general, keep it slow and steady and add your nutmeg a little at a time and watch your store-bought sauce come together like magic.

Of course, nutmeg is only one of the many ways you can upgrade store-bought Alfredo sauce — and you don't have to stop there. You can add other aromatic enhancements like roasted garlic for a deep smoky flavor, or turn up the heat with some red pepper flakes. You can also brighten the overall flavor by adding sour cream to cut up the sweetness, or even simmer in some wine to give the sauce some twang. 

Not only will these additions liven up a sometimes bland jar of Alfredo, they will also mesh well with your nutmeg addition so you can try all these hacks at once. The result will be a creamy yet rich sauce that you'll totally forget came off the shelves.