Top 19 Side Dishes for Fettuccine Alfredo

Fettuccine Alfredo is a favorite and hearty pasta dish on any Italian night. The combination of salted butter, cream, and Parmesan cheese contributes to the richness of this Italian cuisine.

On top of that, there is a sauce coating the fettuccine noodles, creating an irresistible texture for all Fettuccine Alfredo connoisseurs out there.

Choosing a savory accompaniment of what to Serve with Fettuccine Alfredo can turn your meal into an unforgettable experience. A good side dish selection also helps balance the flavor out, making your creamy and irresistible Fettuccine Alfredo more delightful to enjoy.

The list will feature 19 choices (a special bonus in the end), including both meats and vegetables (non-meat). The pasta-bilities are endless with my recommended list.

Thus, without further ado, let’s dig into it right away!

The below list outlines the 19 recommended side dishes for you to enjoy Fettuccine Alfredo. Keep on reading until the end, as there is a bonus waiting for you there:

Meat

• Crockpot Italian Meatballs
• Grilled Shrimp
• Grilled Chicken Strips
• Herb-Buttered Rice Pilaf
• Bacon
• Stuffed Mushrooms
• Steak

Non-Meat

• Green Salad
• Grilled Asparagus
• Broccoli
• Garlic Bread
• Bruschetta
• Herbed Tomato Salad
• Green Beans
• Roasted Peas
• Mixed Vegetable Sauté
• Arugula Salad With Shaved Parm
• Scalloped Potatoes
• Garlic Roasted Potatoes

Meat

The following part will further explore my top 7 most savory meat sides that can complement the creamy taste of Fettuccine Alfredo perfectly. Let’s find out what they are!

1. Crockpot Italian Meatballs

Basically, Fettuccine Alfredo consists of pasta, butter, and cheese. If you are more of a carnivore type, you will notice a lack of meat in this recipe. Thus, adding some meatballs is a great solution to balance the flavor of this Italian dish.

Meatballs are more than just ground meat packed into ball shapes. They usually receive a touch of the season with various spices and herbs to enhance their flavorful aroma. Their seasoned taste guarantees to add a refreshing feel to your rich and creamy Fettuccine pasta.

2. Grilled Shrimp

For those seafood fans out there, you can have the best of both worlds by combining grilled shrimp with your Fettuccine Alfredo. The juicy and crisp taste of shrimp, plus the smoky hints from the grill, is obviously the missing piece to balance out the creamy flavor of the Italian cuisine.

You can further spice things up with the shrimp with the Cajun seasoning. If that ingredient is unavailable, you can switch to simple sea salt. Along with that, throw in some ground pepper, basil, and olive oil. The final mixture is the perfect seafood side for your Fettuccine pasta.

3. Grilled Chicken Strips

Chicken is properly the most typical side to serve with Fettuccine Alfredo. Indeed, grilled chicken strips are the ideal toppings for the rich and cheesy Alfredo sauce. I believe everyone will agree with this statement.

There is no need for complex preparation like deep frying or battering with chicken. All you need to do is season the chicken with salt and pepper, and plainly grilled some chicken breast sliced into strips. These strips are more than enough to go with your creamy Italian pasta. They blend nicely into the Alfredo sauce’s coating.

There are other amazing recipes for this creamy cuisine combination. If you love to explore the alternative method, let’s check out the following instruction video: 

4. Herb-Buttered Rice Pilaf

Do not worry if you have never heard of this Indian side dish. Rice pilaf is a common wheat dish cooked in broth, covered with spices and other ingredients such as meat and vegetables. A proper cooking technique will guarantee flavorful grains that are not adhesive to one another.

If made correctly, rice pilaf is a wonderful addition to Fettuccine Alfredo. You can make the flavor better by adding butter to the side dish. Such a savory herb-buttered rice pilaf compliments nicely with the Italian pasta. Feel free to drop some extra Parmesan cheese toppings for a delicate touch of creamy taste.

Enjoy the following visual instruction on how to prepare the classic version of rice pilaf: 

5. Bacon

Bacon brings the completely opposite flavor to the creamy texture of Fettuccine Alfredo. However, such contrast and smoky aroma work fine with the Alfredo sauce. Besides, the add-on crunch of bacon is also what makes it an exciting accompaniment, compared to other side dishes.

A great alternative to bacon is the salted pork belly meat called Pancetta.

6. Stuffed Mushrooms

If you are more into trying new flavors besides green salads, you should check out the incredible “stuffed mushrooms”. This accompaniment will bring a completely fresh taste to your Fettuccine Alfredo.

You can purchase the pre-prepared version at various stores if you are running short of time. Otherwise, you can totally make your own recipe for the stuffed mushrooms.

Simply fill your mushrooms with ground beef, bacon, chopped tomatoes, and some Parmesan cheese from the main recipe. Then, let them turn golden brown in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. With this manual method, you can adjust the mushrooms’ flavors to be as mild or as spicy as you desire.

Regarding the cheese, you can also stuff your mushrooms with other types. Cheddar, feta are other commonly selected cheese types used for this recipe.

7. Steak

Speaking of the luxury of Fettuccine Alfredo, it would be a big mistake to overlook the phenomenal and juicy steak. Serving steak with the Alfredo sauce is a savory blockbuster.

Due to its high cost, such a side dish is normally suitable for special occasions only.

Regarding the preparation process, season your fat and juicy steak with pepper and salt. Then, cook the luxurious meat in a heated skillet for at least four minutes on each side. Let it rest in foil for about 10 minutes before serving it on the main pasta dish.

Non-Meat

Let’s explore my list of 12 vegetable and non-meat accompaniments that you can enjoy delightfully with your Fettuccine Alfredo. Here they are!

8. Green Salad

A nice green salad is an ideal selection to compliment your Fettuccine Alfredo, owing to its light flavor and crisp texture. To some extent, it provides a relatively contrasting aroma to the creamy taste of your Italian pasta, giving the dish a more refreshing feel.

By salad, I mean you can choose any type in this vast category for your Fettuccine Alfredo. Depending on your preference, it can be romaine, arugula, spinach, kale, etc. You can freely combine your toss of salad with a few slices of onions, tomatoes, olives, oranges, corn, cucumber, mangos, and so on.

Throwing some cashews and walnuts is also a great idea to add a crunchy flavor to your alfredo sauce.

Regarding the dressing, you should be more cautious. As your Fettuccine Alfredo is already creamy and rich, using yogurt as dressing would be counterproductive. Instead, you should mix some olive oil seasoned and balsamic into the main dish. A few drops of lemon vinaigrette is a good selection as well.

In short, adding some humble spring greens can do more good than harm. The material brightens the palate when combined with a thick Alfredo sauce.

9. Grilled Asparagus

Nothing is more crunchy than the grilled asparagus. This healthy veggie is also an excellent matchup for your Fettuccine Alfredo. And if you are a big fan of meatloaf, this recipe goes perfectly with meatloaf as well. It will add a pleasant greenish scheme to your main dish.

Asparagus provides a huge source of minerals and vitamins that are essential to the human body (such as fiber, folate, vitamin A and B1, etc.). It also offers minimal calories, which is ideal for people on a diet. Therefore, mixing it with the rich and creamy Fettuccine Alfredo helps make the dish more healthy.

Besides the nutritional aspect, its unique and vegetal flavor corresponds nicely with your Italian pasta. You can add some lemon squeezes and ground black peppers to make the dish more irresistible.

Another good practice is to add some butter to your asparagus. This addition helps caramelize the ingredient, giving it an exotic brown color. Alternatively, you can use olive oil to maximize the health benefits offered by the dish.

Such a perfect combination is the origin for the common saying “they go together like asparagus and Alfredo”.

10. Broccoli

Here comes another compatible option for your creamy Fettuccine Alfredo, which is broccoli – a green food with the letter B at beginning. Who can say no with this veggie? I highly doubt it.

It cannot go wrong since the veggie’s mild, crisp taste and healthy nutrients balance nicely with the pasta and its Alfredo sauce. The gorgeous contrast in color is also a plus when choosing broccoli (or other veggies) to go with the Alfredo sauce.

All you have to do is blanch your broccoli in boiling water as you are cooking the Fettuccine noodles and put them on your finished dish. Another alternative method is to steam your spring greens. If you are into the deep aroma, you can lightly grill or roast your broccoli florets in olive oil and dump it on your Fettuccine Alfredo.

11. Garlic Bread

If you seek advice from your elders or experienced cooks, the first and foremost side that is recommended is garlic bread. These two dishes pair up perfectly!

Technically, this dish is also an ideal matchup with lasagna or any Italian cooking ideas. The buttery crisp flavor of your bread piece combining with the rich, velvety aroma of your Alfredo sauce will yield an absolutely delightful taste to your tongue.

If I have to pick one adjective to describe my feeling towards this combination, I would say it is a “classic” pair. It may not be as filling as other sides. However, both dishes share the common buttery taste in them, making the combination more delicious and heavenly tasty in your mouth.

It is even better to sprinkle some toppings on your garlic bread to make it even more flavorful.

Enjoy the next video on how to prepare garlic bread alongside your Fettuccine Alfredo:

12. Bruschetta

If you find garlic bread a wonderful accompaniment to your Fettuccine Alfredo, you should definitely check out the more crunchy bread called “bruschetta”.

This Italian side consists of grilled bread topped with garlic, salt, olive oil, and especially tomatoes. In some cases, people include beans and cheese to infuse a more creamy aroma to this antipasto.

Not only crunchy, but bruschetta is also flavorful, owing to the diverse materials placed on top of the bread. Thus, you will have heaven in your mouth when eating the combination of these two Italian cuisines.

Learn how to make bruschetta via the following video: 

13. Herbed Tomato Salad

This super-easy side dish only takes around 10 minutes to prepare. Yet, it is packed with juicy sweetness and acidic flavors. When combining this herbed tomato salad with your Parmesan-coated noodle bowl, you will have what I call “a party of aromas”.

One remark is that this salad does not last long, especially in the refrigerator. Thus, you had better enjoy the dish immediately after the preparation. Do not worry, as the two materials come together pretty quickly, giving you more time to enjoy its flavors rather than sitting around and thinking about it!

14. Green Beans

Among all my recommended options, green beans are properly the simplest and quickest side dish to use with Fettuccine Alfredo. However, you should know that there are differences between string beans and green beans though their similar appearance might confuse you sometimes.

For cooking green beans, all you have to do is toss a few of them in a sauté pan and roast them with some olive oil, red pepper flakes, and salt. Throwing in some silvered shallots is also acceptable.

Another preparing method is to steam your green beans until they achieve a crisp and tender texture. Then, add in some fresh basil pesto, and your side dish is ready to go.

Those steamed (or roasted) green beans have a sweet and mild crunch in their taste. This texture and aroma fit perfectly with the rich and thick Alfredo pasta.

15. Roasted Peas

You can confidently add this flavorful combo of roasted peas to your Fettuccine Alfredo. The result will be impeccable taste. This accompaniment magnifies the rich texture of your Alfredo sauce.

“Sugar snap” is the perfect phrase to capture the delightful and crunchy flavor that roasted peas offer. Using a drizzle of oil and some seasonings when roasting those peas is a good practice to vitalize such snappy sweetness.

16. Mixed Vegetable Sauté

If you reach this stage of the article, you would know by now that Fettuccine Alfredo welcomes all the fresh veggie as its sides. Thus, why not pack such a variety of spring greens and wrap them with your Alfredo pasta?

One intriguing way is to stir fry a medley of diverse veggie types in a quality and sturdy sauté pan. You can combine all your favorite herbals into a mixture, such as carrots, onions, zucchini, broccolini, and tomatoes.

Use your imagination, as the sky’s the limit! Do not worry if there is any “red-flag” vegetable for Fettuccine Alfredo, as there is not!

17. Arugula Salad With Shaved Parm

I know I have mentioned green salad as the first option to serve with Fettuccine Alfredo already. However, I can’t help introducing my favorite combo of arugula salad and some shaved Parmesan cheese. Besides being my top favorite salad choice, this option guarantees to transform your Fettuccine pasta into a luxurious and elegant dish.

Using shaved Parmesan is a wise move, as it avoids adding too much cheese to your Italian dish, which is already filled with this type of cheese.

Prepare your arugula by cooking it with olive oil until the spring green is wilted. Then, simply serve it over your Fettuccine pasta with some shaved Parmesan cheese over it.

18. Scalloped Potatoes

A Fettuccine Alfredo connoisseur will not miss out on the chance of trying scalloped potatoes with their favorite Italian pasta. It is an intriguing variation to the Alfredo sauce, compared to other vegetable and non-meat options.

What distinguishes scalloped potatoes from their counterparts is the way the potatoes are sliced. Here, I am talking about the uniformly thin potatoes coated with cream cheese and milk before baking in the ovens. Thus, scalloped potatoes are rich and creamy, just like Fettuccine Alfredo. However, its richness is relatively light and not overwhelming.

Unlike other salad accompaniments, this side compliments the creamy aroma of your Italian pasta to a whole new level. Yet, everything still works out great and even.

19. Garlic Roasted Potatoes

If you have ever roasted garlic with potatoes, you will notice that its flavor pairs up nicely with what Fettuccine Alfredo offers. The garlicky aroma, plus the soft taste of potatoes and the buttery flavor of your Italian pasta, makes heaven in your mouth.

The cool thing about this side dish is its simple texture adjustment. You can control your garlicky flavor and the softness of your potatoes entirely via your cooking method. Thus, if you prefer a crunchier texture in your potatoes, you can totally do it with this recipe.

Trust me! This side dish will make you scrape your pasta pan, as the combined dish is just irresistible.

FAQs

If you still have some inquiries about what to serve with Fettuccine Alfredo, check out the following part. Hopefully, you will find the answer to your questions here.