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Fettuccine Alfredo
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Made the Italian way, fettuccine Alfredo bears little resemblance to the unctuous, cream-based pasta dish that’s popular in the U.S. We scoured Rome for the best versions, and our favorite was prepared by home cook Francesca Guccione, who resides in Castelnuovo di Porto, just outside of Rome. Rich, luxurious and elegant but neither heavy nor cloying, Guccione’s fettuccine Alfredo, like other Roman recipes for the dish, consists of only fresh pasta, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, butter and salt. The secret lies in using high-quality ingredients and combining them in just the right way, and in just the right volumes. We adapted her winning formula but incorporated a technique we saw employed at a couple restaurants of putting softened butter (rather than melted) into the bowl in which the hot pasta will be tossed. Of utmost importance is the cheese. Purchase a hefty chunk of true Parmigiano Reggiano—not the pre-shredded stuff—trim off the rind (save it for simmering into soups and stews), cut 6 ounces into rough ½-inch pieces and whir them in a food processor until very finely ground. This helps ensure the cheese melts readily. High-fat butter also is key. In Europe, butter typically has a fat content of around 85 percent; standard American butter is only about 80 fat. That 5 percent difference has a big impact on the flavor and consistency of the finished dish. At the grocery store, some types of high-fat butter are labeled “European-style.” Plugrá and Kerrygold are two widely available brands. If the butter also happens to be cultured, all the better, but this is not essential. We learned from Guccione that patience also is an important ingredient. Tossing the pasta with the cheese in small additions and while gradually adding some starchy pasta-cooking water takes time but yields a sauce that is velvety-smooth. We highly recommend serving the pasta in individual bowls that have been gently warmed.
4 to 6
Servings
Tip
Don’t use more than 2 quarts water to cook the pasta. It’s a small amount by intention, as the starchy liquid is used as an ingredient in the sauce. Also, don’t drain the pasta in a colander. Use tongs to lift the noodles out of the water and drop them, with ample water clinging to them, into the bowl lined with the butter slices. You may need some pasta cooking water to adjust the consistency of the sauce just before serving, so don’t prematurely discard it.
30 minutes
8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted European-style butter (see headnote), sliced about ½-inch thick
6 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (without rind), cut into rough ½-inch chunks
16-18 ounces fresh fettuccine, homemade or store-bought
Kosher salt
Ingredients
-
8
tablespoons (1 stick) salted European-style butter (see headnote), sliced about ½-inch thick
-
6
ounces Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (without rind), cut into rough ½-inch chunks
-
16-18
ounces fresh fettuccine, homemade or store-bought
-
Kosher salt
Story by J.M. Hirsch
The Search for The Real Fettuccine Alfredo
Directions
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01Line a large bowl with the butter slices, placing them in a single layer along the bottom and up the sides of the bowl; let stand at room temperature until the butter is softened.
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02Meanwhile, in a food processor, process the cheese until very finely ground, about 40 seconds; transfer to a medium bowl (you should have about 1½ cups).
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03In a large pot, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Add the pasta and 1½ teaspoons salt, then cook, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente, about 2 minutes for fresh, 7 minutes for store-bought. Remove the pot from the heat. Using tongs, transfer the pasta from the pot, with ample water clinging to it, to the butter-lined bowl. Using the tongs, quickly stir and toss the pasta, incorporating the butter, until the butter is fully melted. Add ½ cup pasta water and toss until the water has been absorbed.
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04Add 1 cup of the cheese, ⅓ cup at a time, tossing and adding the next addition only after the previous one has been incorporated. Next, toss in ½ to 1 cup more pasta water, adding about ¼ cup at a time, until the sauce clings to the pasta and only a small amount pools at the bottom of the bowl.
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05Let stand for 2 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken slightly. If needed, toss in additional pasta water a little at a time until the sauce once again clings to the pasta and only a small amount pools at the bottom of the bowl. Taste and season with salt. Divide among warmed serving bowls and serve immediately with the remaining cheese on the side for sprinkling at the table.
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Reviews
December 27, 2022
This is the way.
This easy preparation is a revelation. Now a staple in our home.
December 16, 2022
Delicious
Loved this recipe with homemade fettucine noodles. Have made it twice for company and they raved about the flavor. So good!
October 7, 2022
Creamy and delicious Fettuccine
This was incredible with my homemade semolina pasta added Digby scallops and shrimp
September 28, 2022
Kevin L.
This is by far the simplest and most flavorful fettucine alfredo we have ever prepared. We had fair amount of trepidation because of our use of gluten-free pasta. Alas, our fears were unnecessary. The pasta was delicious!
September 26, 2022
Make this pasta!
I was somewhat skeptical about the recipe, and, given our use of gluten-free pasta, my amount of trepidation is understandable. WOW! This is keeper. The prep time is minimal, and the results are fantastic.
I was wondering about making this for two as the leftovers aren't as good. Should I half the cooking water for the pasta or is that too little water? The rest seems easy to half.
This is outstanding! Made it exactly as directed and it turned out great! I wouldn’t make any changes to the recipe. It will be my “go to”recipe for fettuccine Alfredo. I also like the Milk Street recipe for Pasta with Parmesan Cream but the fettuccine Alfredo recipe has awesome flavor without the cream. Excellent recipe!
My package of pasta says to cook for 7 minutes. However, the recipe here says to cook 2 minutes? Is there a happy medium?
Hi Mike -
Are you sure you are using *fresh* fettuccine, not dried? This recipe was developed using fresh pasta which should only take a few minutes to cook. Unfortunately, we did not test the recipe using dried pasta since all of the versions we had in Italy used fresh (homemade, actually) pasta.
Best,
The Milk Street Team
If you want to see a really wonderful video that talks about the origin of this dish, as well as showing the proper technique for tossing the pasta (as described in this recipe), go to YouTube and search for the "Pasta Grammar" channel and their video labeled: Is Fettuccine Alfredo ACTUALLY Italian?
I see that the question of using dried fettuccine, as opposed to fresh fettuccine, was brought up in an earlier email (dated 2 July 2021). However, since many home cooks have a supply of dried pastas; but, do not have a source for reliable fresh pasta, and, sadly do not have the time to make their own fresh pastas, have you researched the question of adapting the recipe to use good quality dried pasta? I have recently read the article, and recipe in July -- August 2021 issue of "Milk Street" and am interested in adapting it to be made with dried pasta. Would you think I would be on the right track to increase the amount of water slightly (probably by no more than an additional one-quarter to one-half of a cup) to allow for loss by evaporation while cooking the pasta for the longer time required for dried pasta?
Hi Steven -
Many supermarkets now carry fresh pasta in their deli refrigerated section - Buitoni is a widely-available brand, so we recommend looking there for fresh fettuccine. You can certainly try to make the recipe using dried pasta but, as you mentioned, the amount of water may need to be increased in order to cook the pasta through. The pasta water itself may also be more starchy, since it will be more concentrated, so you may find you need to add more to loosen the sauce. Good luck!
Best,
The Milk Street Team
I tried this recipe with gluten-free fresh fettucine and it came out great (it felt perhaps like a little too much sauce which makes sense - gluten-free pasta isn't able to soak up as much). I also made 1/2 recipe....I used the same amount of water (2qt) but only 9oz of pasta. I halved the butter and parmigiano reggiano. Anyway, absolutely delicious!
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MAKE THIS. It's all of the delicious. First bite, my husband said "mmmmmmm this is good." He was right. We like to make our own pasta, and 2 quarts water seemed shallow, but YES. You will love this.