Whenever possible, keep things simple… and loaded with saturated fat.
OK, this recipe for fettuccine Alfredo is easy enough to become a weeknight staple. With just four ingredients and about 20 minutes, you can have a breathtakingly good Alfredo on the table.
The trouble is, it involves a stick of butter and half a pound of Parmesan cheese. Granted, that’s how you know it’s going to be not just good, but amazing. But it’s also how you know it probably won’t be on your table that often. You’ll wish it could be.
This recipe, which is adapted from Saveur magazine, uses the heat of the pasta along with some of the starchy cooking water to turn the butter and cheese into a rich and creamy sauce.
Fettuccine Alfredo
Start to finish: 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Two 9-ounce packages fresh fettuccine pasta
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into small pieces
3 1/4 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
Ground black pepper, to taste
Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Place a large oven-safe serving bowl in the oven to warm.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. When the pasta is finished, reserve 3/4 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta.
Remove the bowl from the oven. Place the butter in the bowl, then add the pasta. Using tongs or 2 wooden spoons, toss the pasta, melting the butter and mixing it with the pasta.
A bit at a time, add the cheese and the reserved pasta cooking water, continuing to toss until all of the cheese is added and melted. Season with pepper.
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 640 calories; 313 calories from fat; 35 g fat (19 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 135 mg cholesterol; 46 g carbohydrate; 36 g protein; 2 g fiber; 1,106 mg sodium.
(Recipe adapted from Issue 120 of Saveur magazine)
Tags: Alfredo, Entrees, Fettuccine, parmesan, pasta
That’s not how you make Alfredo…not even close. Alfredo is whole milk or heavy cream combined with Parmesan cheese, cooked over medium-low heat until thick and bubbly…this can be cut with low fat milk to achieve desired consistency. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Typically it’s 1 cup milk to 1/2 cup cheese, depending on how cheesy you want it.
Here’s a proper pasta recipe too in case you don’t want to eat that nasty store-bought stuff. Combine 1 egg, 1 teaspoon oil, 1 tablespoon water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2/3 cup flour. Mix and knead until smooth, let sit covered for 20 minutes. Roll out into a large sheet, cut desired noodle sizes, let them sit out to dry for 30 minutes. Cook in salted boiling water until al dente (about 5 min), adding olive oil to prevent sticking. Recipe may be doubled.
Top with pepper and parsley. Serve with fresh vegetables and garlic bread.
Good Read! Hey, did you realize this blog is catalogued by Big G news?Just found it in a google SERP at the top…How the heck did you pull that off?lol.
In response to MindTwisted’s comment: “That’s not how you make Alfredo…not even close. Alfredo is whole milk or heavy cream…” Please understand and read the Saveur article that before making such a daft comment. The entire article was about how modern fettuccine Alfredo always has heavy cream or whole milk as a main ingredient, whereas the original contained only pasta, butter, and cheese. Invented in 1914 by Alfredo de Lelio as a dish to please his pregnant and frequently nauseous wife, fettuccine Alfredo has changed a bit over the years-cream or milk was added to make the dish less expensive (less butter and cheese have to be used in the more modern recipes).
Do your homework.