I want to start off with a fairly standard Alfredo sauce and find ways to give it a little something extra, something that might give the diner a pleasantly different Alfredo sauce experience. Anyone out there come up with some good variations of the sauce I might be able to try out?
Could you first describe what you mean by “standard Alfredo sauce”?
Alfredo is perfect as it is: use the best butter you can find (I like unsalted Lurpak or a cultured butter) and real Parmigiano-Reggiano. Cream is often included, and I like it fine with or without cream, but some purists will decry the use of cream. Here’s the Saveur recipe for the butter & cheese version.
This. As long as we’re talking real Alfredo and not some horrendous white sauce that includes cream cheese, flour, milk, or other such monstrosities (I won’t even mention bottled Alfredo sauce shudder), it’s perfect as is. The only improvement to be made would be to use better butter, cheese or cream. (Like pulykamell, I can go with or without cream)
I like fresh parsley. Is that heresy?
Put in as much grated real, fresh Parmigiano Regianno as you can without ruining the texture of the sauce.
Or, spruce it up with lots of cracked black pepper and bacon bits and make it a carbonara-ish dish.
I add a touch of cayenne pepper and nutmeg to mine. Not much, just enough to give it a little extra. (Mine uses cream, butter, garlic, and grated parmesan.)
It’s tasty.
I use butter, half-and-half, parmesan, and a pitch of nutmeg. Don’t add salt because there’s plenty in the butter.
A little roasted garlic for me.
That’s it right there. I think parsley or a little pepper is OK, but the problem is finding quality butter, cheese, cream to enjoy the flavors. Might as well be cornstarch in water otherwise.
ETA: Saint Cad: A little garlic never hurt anything.
I guess all the usual and most obvious things for such a simple three ingredient sauce… you could add a little bit of a different cheese in addition to the paremesan/romano- asiago, taleggio, soft goat cheese would all give a bit of body and “tang”. I had a fett prima once that had chopped sundried tomatoes in it, I thought that was pretty good… I guess cribbing from Carraba’s Chicken Bryan… you could make a Fettucini Bryan- alfredo made per usual with the addition of some soft goat cheese (chevre) and finely chopped. oil cured, sundried tomatoes, as well as some chopped asparagus. Top with a bit of sliced, grilled, chicken breast
Maybe some chopped basil for that Fett Bryan- That’s a major component to Chicken Bryan that I forgot about.
…But yea, maybe some interesting or favorite fresh chopped herbs added to your alfredo could set it apart.
Thanks for the suggestions; I’ve done the garlic-added version and also tried it with a bit of red pepper and they were both predictably good. I’m hearing what you’re all saying about the quality of the ingredients as well; I may need to splurge a bit and get the best stuff available for the next time. I was also thinking of experimenting with some lemon pepper as well.
There is a local restaurant here that offers standard alfredo, then basil alfredo. It’s just regular alfredo, but simmered with a shit ton of fresh basil in it. AMAZING. It’s especially good with chicken!
Nutmeg? In the Alfredo sauce?
I will gladly welcome you into my household…but you may not go anywhere near my kitchen.
Truffle.
Black or Burgundy?
Nutmeg is pretty much standard in Alfredo sauce, at least in all the authentic Italian cookbooks in my cupboard. It’s good - you should try it!
Is this like cake or death? 
I guess I don’t know; I’ve never cooked with truffle or truffle oil, I just know that whatever it is that restaurants have been serving me on occasion as ‘truffled [whatever]’ has been delicious, and a great flavor to augment an alfredo sauce, I think.
Did…and hated it.