Yes, there really was an “Alfredo” behind the classic pasta dish. He was a popular Roman restaurateur and—more importantly for our story—a terrific husband. When his wife was suffering from pregnancy-related nausea, he went back to his restaurant, Alfredo alla Scrofa, and whipped up a dish of plain cooked fettuccine tossed with butter and Parmesan. She loved the dish and soon felt better, so he put the “Alfredo recipe” on the menu. The rest is Italian—and culinary—history. The Fettuccine Alfredo sauce has gotten richer over the years, picking up cheese and cream in most modern versions. In Italy, it’s also known as fettuccine al burro, fettuccine burro e parmigiano, or pasta in bianco.

So much flavor from such a simple sauce. This classic Alfredo made of butter, cream and Parmesan cheese is perfect for fettuccine.

  • 10 min  Prep Time
  • 25 min  Total Time
  • 6  Servings

Ingredients

8
oz uncooked fettuccine
1/2
cup butter or margarine
1/2
cup whipping cream
3/4
cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2
teaspoon salt
1/8
teaspoon black or white pepper
Chopped fresh parsley

Directions

  • 1 In large sauce pot, cook fettuccine as directed on package.
  • 2 While fettuccine is cooking, in 2-quart saucepan, heat butter and whipping cream over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted. Stir in cheese, salt and pepper.
  • 3 Drain fettuccine; return to sauce pot. Pour sauce over warm fettuccine; stir until fettuccine is well coated. Sprinkle with parsley.

Mmm, Alfredo! But without all the fat? Sure! Just substitute evaporated fat-free milk for the whipping cream and use a reduced-fat Parmesan cheese blend to slash the fat in half.

Make it even heartier. This rich pasta dish becomes the base for other flavorful dishes when you add cut-up cooked poultry, meat and veggies. Garnish with fresh herb sprigs.

Grilled chicken breast, cut into strips, makes a great addition to this dish.

Saute uncooked deveined peeled shrimp with garlic and a little seafood seasoning, then toss with the sauce and fettuccine.