After the Hotdish post, I really had to step back and think about my life choices. In reality, last week was gnarly at work and I just didn’t have time to post. But, today, I’m back and starting the week off on the right foot. It is Fettuccine Alfredo Day and this is a great dish you can make quickly at home. The sauce is simple: butter and cheese. Just make sure you grate your own cheese. I know it’s not the most fun thing to do, but it’s pure and you can use up some time while you wait for the water to boil.
Poor Alfredo di Lellio. He made the now-famous dish for his wife after she gave birth to their son and had lost her appetite. He made a meal with love and nourished her back to health some 108 years ago today. He then opened a restaurant and because some Hollywood power couple loved it so much, they brought the news back to the States with them and soon, everyone was asking for Fettuccine “all’Afredo”. This is basically why Italians are mad at Alfredo…because of the vanity to re-name a dish, typically served to children or bland-palate eaters, after your own self. You see, Italians regularly made “pasta al burro” or “pasta al crema” or “pasta al burro e Parmigiano”, and now here comes ‘Fredo taking all the glory in the capital of pasta, Rome, no less! It’s somewhat surprising that he didn’t meet the same fate of another, less-fortunate, Alfredo.
Here in the states, you can find it in the frozen aisle, or in a box with an envelope full of powder. Even worse, you can find jars of Alfredo sauce. It’s not that appetizing if you pour this out. It’s more like a mix of mayo and paste, gross. I used to make this dish on a weekly basis when I got into cooking. So much so, I started a grease fire under my electric stove-top from all of the sauce boil overs. That was a fun time in the kitchen. But, I’ve learned from my mistakes and now bring you the non boil-over method. This dish is fantastic in its simplicity and is totally a weeknight meal, especially if you use store-bought pasta. If you want to make your own, follow this recipe, and use the fettuccine cutter, instead of the spaghetti cutter.
Fettuccine “Alfredo”
Why is Alfredo in quotes? Because, this is my version (adding cream) and Alfredo ain't getting any glory off ol’ MangiaMcCann. But, note, I’m not calling this Fettuccine Brendan, either, ok? The key for this recipe is to have everything ready to go before drop the pasta into the water. You can hold the sauce to wait for the pasta to be done, but you can’t hold the pasta!
1 lb dried fettuccine
½ stick of butter
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
Nutmeg
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups freshly grated (by you!) Parmigiano Reggiano
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, grate your cheese.
When the pasta water is at a full boil, melt the butter in a medium saucepot over medium heat. Just as the butter is fully melting away, grate in a pinch of nutmeg. Then, stirring constantly, add in the garlic. Once everything is fragrant, about a minute, pour in the cream and a pinch of salt, give a stir, and let the sauce simmer, reducing the heat to medium-low when it reaches a boil. Let it reduce down to 1.5 cups.
Once the cream has begun to simmer, drop the pasta into the water, tossing gently until the pasta fully slumps into the water, about a minute. Cook for about 10 minutes, still pretty al dente, but not raw. (If you’re using fresh pasta, wait until the sauce has cooked down for about 10 minutes, then cook your pasta for about 60-90 seconds)
When the pasta is ready, your sauce should be too. Check the sauce for seasoning needs. Technically, you should use white pepper, but I was out.
When the pasta has cooked, drain the pasta (reserving some water) and toss the noodles into the simmering sauce. Using tongs, or 2 large spoons, keep mixing and tossing the pasta into the sauce for about a minute to finish the cooking of the pasta. Then, turn off the heat, but keep tossing your pasta in the cooling sauce until it really starts to adhere to the noodles. If the sauce gets too thick, you can add in a little bit of the pasta water.
Serve and garnish with a little parsley, fresh grated cheese, and some pepper. I typically like to slice up some prepared chicken with the pasta as well. ______________________________ Copyright 2022, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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