Fettuccine Alfredo: Ultimate Comfort Dish

Fettuccine Alfredo: Ultimate Comfort Dish


Fettuccine Alfredo is the ultimate comfort dish. There’s something about the combination of pasta, cheese and butter that screams luxury with big, luxurious flavors in every bite.

Fettuccine Alfredo - Closeup
Image: ©2foodtrippers

Fettuccine Alfredo may be Italy’s most misunderstood dish. In fact, many food astute people write the dish off despite its deep Italian roots. Others purely associate the creamy pasta with cheese despite the fact that fettuccine Alfredo may be the ultimate version of buttered noodles. (While cheese is the key flavor enhancer, butter acts as the basis for the dish’s sauciness. In a sense, butter replaces the pork fat added to Roman pastas like amatrciana, carbonara and gricia.)

What’s not misunderstood is fettuccine Alfredo’s decadence which is why it’s not a dish to eat when dieting. Its beauty lies in its luxurious mouthfeel, the slight chew of its wide pasta and the funk of Italy’s Parmigiano-Reggiano. Sure, some recipes attempt to lighten this dish; however, to us, those attempts are counter-intuitive. Fettuccine Alfredo shouldn’t be treated like a guilt free meal. Rather, it’s a dish that epitomizes Italian comfort food.

Since comfort food shouldn’t be stressful, this recipe is super easy to prepare and serves two people (or one ravenous person). We like to eat the dish for lunch but, if you’re looking a for a quick, comforting weeknight dish, this recipe delivers the goods in less than 30 minutes.

Discover more tasty noodle recipes.

A Quick History of Fettuccine Alfredo

Fettuccine alfredo on a fork
Despite its sullied reputation, Fettucine Alfredo is an authentic Roman pasta dish. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Fettuccine Alfredo is an Italian dish born in Rome but its actual roots are unknown. Yes, there was actual person named Alfredo and a restaurant with his name which is where the dish became famous. However, Alfredo di Lelio, who famously served the buttery, cheesy pasta in the early 20th century, did not invent the dish. We know this because of recipes that trace the dish back to the 15th century. Back then, the dish likely had a different name, perhaps fettuccine al burro (i.e. fettuccine with butter).

Di Lelio was quite the entrepreneur. His version gained its initial fame after the crafty Roman served the dish to then power couple Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks in the 1920s. (The couple allegedly gifted Di Lelio a golden fork and spoon that he later used to serve his namesake pasta). He used that fame to gain greater notoriety, serving a whole host of celebs like Jimmy Stewart and Sophia Loren. Di Lelio even gave fettuccine Alfredo demonstrations around the world.

The dish evolved after Di Lelio died in 1959, especially in America where dry noodles don’t grip sauce in the same manner as fresh noodles do in Rome. So, some modern versions are thicker (some would say gloopier but those are bad versions) and richer thanks to extra ingredients like egg yolks and heavy cream. Plus, in true American style, U.S. restaurants often serve Alfredo with vegetables or sausage.

Ingredients

Fettuccine Alfredo - Mise en Place
The ingredients for this fettuccine Alfredo recipe include fettuccine pasta, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, butter, salt, pepper and parsley. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Our fettucine Alfredo recipe doesn’t include cream or yolks since we consider the simplicity of the Roman version to be a beautiful thing. That simplicity is what makes Italian cuisine great. However, it does include a workaround for using fresh noodles that’s ideal for home cooks.

Here’s everything you need to make authentic Roman fettuccine Alfredo in your kitchen:

  • Fettuccine or Other Ribbon Pasta – If you like to make fresh pasta, we say go for it and your sauce may grip the pasta better. However, we think that dry egg pasta is ideal for this recipe since it cooks longer. The longer cook time creates starchier water which gives the sauce body.
  • Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese – We highly recommend using Parmigiano-Reggiano or a similar cheese like Grana Padano. The simplicity of this dish means that the cheese carries the flavor here. Cheap imitations are not acceptable.
  • Butter – This recipe works best with salted butter since it imparts a better flavor base to the dish.
  • Salt – We add seven grams of table salt to one liter of water to cook the pasta. This ratio gives the pasta enough salt without making the dish bracingly salty.
  • Pepper – Just a little pepper gives the dish flavor a slight dimension. You don’t need to add too much since it’s not cacio e pepe.
  • Parsley – Chopped parsley is an optional garnish that gives the finished dish a more verdant and brighter appearance. You can leave it out or use a different chopped herb for garnish.

Ingredient quantities are detailed in the printable recipe card below.

How To Make Fettuccine Alfredo

Fettuccine Alfredo in a bowl with a place setting on tablecloth
Fettuccine Alfredo is a quintessential comfort dish. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Frequently Asked Questions

What is fettuccine Alfredo?

Fettuccine alfredo is a Roman pasta dish that’s notable for its simplicity as well as its creaminess.

Where was fettuccine Alfredo invented?

Fettuccine Alfredo was invented in Rome centuries ago.

What are the classic fettuccine Alfredo ingredients?

Fettuccine Pasta, Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, Butter, Parsley, Pepper and Salt

Did you make this recipe? If so, please rate it below.

Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe

This authentic fettuccine Alfredo recipe is a luxurious dish that’s quick and easy to make at home.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 2

Prep Time15 minutes

Cook Time10 minutes

Total Time25 minutes

Calories: 518kcal

Author: Daryl and Mindi Hirsch
  • 4 tablespoons salted butter (softened)
  • 6 ounces fettuccine pasta
  • 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (grated)
  • 7 grams salt (for the pasta water)
  • pepper (ground, to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon parsley (chopped, optional garnish)
  • Preheat an oven to 200°f / 100°c. Place a large ceramic mixing bowl inside the oven.

  • Bring water (about 1 liter or 1 quart) with the salt to boil in a medium sized saucepan. Once the salted water is boiling, drop in the pasta and cook according to instructions, stirring constantly.

  • During the last minute of pasta cooking, pull the ceramic bowl from the oven. Place the softened butter into heated bowl and flatten the butter with your hand or a spoon.

  • Reserve about a cup of water from the pasta pot using a heat proof measuring cup. Remove the cooked pasta from the pot with either tongs or strain it through a colander and immediately place the pasta into the bowl with the butter. (If using a colander, immediately transfer the pasta to the bowl after straining it.)

  • Mix the pasta with the butter, adding about 1/4 of the pasta water. Keep mixing until the butter begins to thicken at the bottom of the bowl. Add the parmigiano-reggiano about a quarter at a time and mix, adding the remaining pasta water to the bowl, until the sauce reaches a desired thickness and consistency.

  • Serve in small pasta bowls. Optionally garnish with fresh parsley.

  • Grate the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese using the small diamond setting of your grater for best results.
  • We recommend dry egg pasta for the best consistency and results.

Calories: 518kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 34g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 2176mg | Potassium: 51mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 1807IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 353mg | Iron: 0.4mg

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