One of our very first recipes here on Favorite Family Recipes was our family’s recipe for Alfredo sauce. On this particular recipe, we received a nice comment from Ines Di Lelio, granddaughter of Alfredo Di Lelio, the creator of fettuccine Alfredo (aka Fettuccine all’Alfredo or Fettuccine al Burro). It was this comment (original comment below) that inspired us to learn more about this famous dish.After learning more of the history, then taking a trip to Italy ourselves, we were determined to perfect the art of making true, authentic fettuccine Alfredo. To our surprise, it was easy to do, so long as we used the right ingredients!
Ingredients in Authentic Fettuccine Alfredo
Authentic fettuccine Alfredo is super simple and only made with four ingredients: Cooked fettuccine noodles, butter, and Parmigiano Reggiano. That’s it! Because this recipe uses so few ingredients, it is worth it to only use the BEST.
Fettuccine
I love using high-quality noodles from Italy when I made fettuccine Alfredo. These noodles are often dried in “nest” shapes and found at specially markets. They are lighter in color than your typical supermarket noodle and have a slight texture to them (see picture) which helps the sauce cling to them. Tagliatelle is very similar to fettuccine and can also be used. If you want to go all out you can always make your own homemade pasta from scratch!
Salt
If you salt the pasta water right, there will be no need to season with salt later on in the process. In Italy, salt for pasta water is measured to taste. You want the pasta water be as salty as sea water. If you aren’t comfortable with salting your pasta water to taste, you can always just add a couple teaspoons to the water and then season the pasta with a little salt after it has been prepared.
Butter
Use your favorite high-quality, creamy butter. American, European, or Irish cream butter will all work great. Obviously the better the butter, the better the sauce will be.
Parmigiano Reggiano
No substitutions. Parmigiano Reggiano is NOT parmesan cheese. Parmesan cheese is an American imitation of Parmigiano Reggiano. Parmigiano Reggiano is produced in Italy in the region of Parma (hence the name) and meets very specific Italian regulations.One easy way to know if the Parmigiano Reggiano is authentic is to look for the seal of authenticity. True Parmigiano Reggiano will have a red seal that says “Protected Designation of Origin” (or “Denominazione d’Origine Protetta” (DOP) if you are in Italy). That’s how you know. I always buy my Parmigiano Reggiano from Costco. If you look in the picture below, you can see the seal. It’s the real deal!
No Cream (or Parsley)
The original fettuccine Alfredo recipe that was created in Rome does not have cream. Cream is absolutely not needed. Want more creaminess? Add more cheese and a splash of pasta water. Yes, there are many, many recipes out there that add cream or even egg yolks for thickening. Even recipes that come from Italy. These recipes have been adapted and have evolved from the original. Not saying that these recipes are necessarily bad, they just aren’t the original ingredients. The same goes for parsley. It is not needed, nor is it in the original recipe.
How to Make Fettuccine Alfredo the Italian Way
Boil the pasta noodles in salted water. Fill a mug with some of the pasta water and set aside to use for the sauce. In a deep-walled skillet or ceramic Dutch oven, melt butter on low heat. Drain pasta and toss with the butter.Slowly add cheese and alternate with a few tablespoons of the pasta water that was set aside. Continue doing this until a sauce is formed and you reach your desired consistency.
Recipe Tips
Add the cheese a little at a time, sprinkle it as you stir. If you add too much at once it will clump and not melt right.Stir with tongs so you can grasp the noodles and turn them over to coat them with the cheese sauce as it forms.Use high quality ingredients, I can’t stress this enough.
Storing the Leftovers
As mentioned above, this pasta dish should be served fresh and hot so avoid leftovers if you can. To be honest we have never made this and had leftovers because it is just that good. Authentic fettuccine Alfredo does not reheat well. If you happen to have leftovers and really don’t want any to go to waste, store in an airtight container. Reheat in a nonstick skillet with a splash of heavy cream and a little more Parmigiano Reggiano until heated through. Serve immediately after reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions about Fettuccine Alfredo
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