Fettuccine Alfredo
Fettuccine Alfredo was born in early-1900s Rome, at the restaurant of Alfredo di Lelio, who invented the dish for his wife, exhausted after childbirth, using nothing but generous butter and parmesan — no cream at all. American tourists made it famous, and back home reinvented it with heavy cream, which is what passes for 'Alfredo' in most restaurants today, even though the original Italian recipe never contained any cream. The secret lies in technique, not extra ingredients: the pasta's cooking water, rich with starch released from the flour, is what binds the melted butter and parmesan into a velvety emulsion without breaking. Constant motion and low heat are essential — too much heat and the cheese proteins seize up, leaving a lumpy sauce instead of a silky one.
Just butter and parmesan
No cream — the sauce emulsifies from starch and fat
Reserved pasta water
Its starch pulls the sauce into a silky emulsion
Finely grated Parmigiano
Grated fine, never pre-shredded, so it melts smooth
Tossed off the heat
Direct heat breaks the sauce
Ingredients 4 servings
- 400 g fettuccine, fresh or dried
- 115 g unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
- 150 g parmigiano reggiano, finely grated, plus more to serve
- 500 ml reserved pasta cooking water
- Coarse salt, for the pasta water
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh parsley, chopped, to garnish (optional)
How to make it
- 1COOK THE PASTA: bring a large pot of well-salted water (as salty as the sea) to a boil, cook the fettuccine 1 minute less than the package says, so it stays very al dente — it will finish cooking in the sauce.
- 2RESERVE THE WATER: just before draining, ladle out the 500 ml of pasta water, then drain the pasta without rinsing it.
- 3MELT THE FIRST LAYER OF BUTTER: put the pan over low heat, add half the butter and 120 ml of the pasta water, stirring until the butter melts and forms a cloudy emulsion.
- 4ADD THE PASTA: tip the hot fettuccine into the pan, take it off the heat, and toss vigorously with tongs or two forks.
- 5ADD THE PARMESAN GRADUALLY: sprinkle in the parmesan in three or four additions, tossing well after each and splashing in a little more pasta water whenever the sauce looks too thick — the constant motion is what emulsifies the fat, water and starch into a velvety sauce.
- 6ADD THE REMAINING BUTTER: work in the rest of the butter, one cube at a time, tossing until it melts completely and the sauce turns glossy and clings to the noodles.
- 7SEASON AND SERVE: add freshly ground black pepper, taste and loosen with more pasta water if the sauce has thickened too much, then serve at once in warmed bowls with extra parmesan and parsley on top.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
