Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe

The starch in the pasta cooking water helps the sauce stick to the noodles, so the two stay together as one when served. The starchy pasta cooking water also helps to enhance the creaminess the Alfredo sauce without adding an extra calories.

Ingredients :

Serves 6

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot or ½ small onion, minced
1 cup heavy (35%) cream
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
12 ounces egg fettuccine or tagliatelle nests
¹/₃ cup pasta cooking water, plus more, if needed
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, finely grated
2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley (optional)

Method :

Bring a covered stockpot two-thirds filled with cold water to a boil. Keep at a boil until ready to use.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the oil and shallot to the pan and stir with a wooden spoon for 1 minute. Add the cream to the pan and stir with a wooden spoon to blend. Add the pepper and butter to the pan and stir until the butter is melted.
Increase the heat to medium high and allow to cook, stirring occasionally for one minute. Turn off the heat.
Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the stockpot of boiling water and then add the pasta. Stir and separate the nests into long strands, for about one minute. Boil the pasta until just barely al dente about 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat. Using a glass measuring cup, remove about ²/₃ cup of pasta cooking water from the stockpot and set aside.
Drain the pasta into a large colander in the sink. Do not shake off the excess water.
Add the pasta and about ¹/₃ cup of the reserved pasta cooking water to the cream sauce and turn the heat on to medium high.
Using tongs or two wooden spoons, toss the pasta with the sauce until well combined, about 1 minute.
** To make the pasta creamier, you can add more pasta water as you toss the pasta. **
Turn off the heat and add 1 cup of grated Parmigiano cheese and toss well.
Add in the parsley (if using) and toss well to combine. Serve the pasta with a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmigiano cheese.

Nutritional Facts Per Serving:

Calories ................................ 613

     Calories from Fat ............... 375
Total Fat ..............................42 g
     Saturated Fat ...................23 g
     Monounsaturated Fat .........14 g
     Polyunsaturated Fat ............2 g
Cholesterol ........................161 mg
Sodium ...............................73 mg
Total Carbohydrates ................44 g
     Dietary Fiber .......................2 g
     Sugars ...............................2 g
Protein ..................................16 g

There is, perhaps, no pasta dish more decadent than Fettuccine Alfredo. For best results, use the small holes of your grater to get the Parmigiano cheese finely grated and, when adding the cheese to the sauce, keep stirring until the cheese is completely melted.

Egg fettuccine noodles often come in the form of nests. These look like small bird's nests, but loosen and separate into individual pasta strands as they cook.