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By Chris Joe
5 from 25 votes
Nov 08, 2023
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Fettuccine Alfredo is one of my favorite comfort foods because it is simple and so delicious! You only need a few ingredients and technique to make this ultra creamy dish at home. It’s ready in just 20 minutes and you don’t need to use heavy cream!
Watch the Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe Video Below!
What ingredients do I need to make an authentic Fettuccine Alfredo?
I always suggest using the highest quality ingredients you can find for simple dishes like Fettuccine Alfredo. The authentic version only uses 4 ingredients, so high quality ingredients will make the dish even more delicious!
- Pasta: My two go-to brands for dried pasta are Dececco or Seggiano.
- Butter: My favorite butter is Kerrygold unsalted butter. The quality is phenomenal! I like to buy mine from Costco and freeze what I won’t need (butter lasts in the freezer for 5 months).
- Cheese: I like to always have a wedge of high quality cheese in my refrigerator – I don’t like using pre-grated cheese because they contain preservatives to keep the shreds from clumping. For this recipe, I used the 24 month aged parmesan cheese from Costco.
Use the pasta water to create a creamy Alfredo sauce
Pasta water is the secret ingredient to the best pastas. When you cook your pasta in salted water, what’s left over is the salty, starchy water. This water (which Bon Appetit calls “LIQUID GOLD”) is what emulsifies with the fat in your sauce (oil, butter, cheese, etc) and creates that incredibly smooth sauce.
My #1 tip with pasta water is DO NOT ADD IT DIRECTLY FROM THE POT. It’s going to be too hot – the higher temperature of the water will melt the cheese too fast and create a clumpy sauce! Reserve your pasta water in a separate measuring cup and aim to have it at 150-160F or about 70C before adding more to the sauce (1-2 minutes of resting). I like to use this infrared thermometer to easily measure the temperature of the water.
If you liked this recipe, check out some of the most popular pasta recipes on the blog! Please consider giving a rating and commenting down below what you thought of the recipe! It really helps out the blog!
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5 from 25 votes
Authentic 4-Ingredient Fettuccine Alfredo (NO CREAM!)
By: Chris Joe
Servings: 2
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 10 minutes mins
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This authentic Fettuccine Alfredo is one of my favorite comfort foods! You only need a few ingredients and technique to make this ultra creamy dish at home in 20 minutes or less!
Ingredients
- 8 oz fettuccine noodles
- 3 oz aged parmesan cheese, finely grated
- kosher salt, for the pasta water
- 5 tbsp butter
- 1 cup pasta water, reserved after cooking the noodles
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
In a large pan, melt butter over medium heat until fully melted, then immediately turn off the heat.
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook your fettuccine to al dente or until desired doneness.
1-2 minutes before the pasta is done, reserve a cup of pasta water and set aside to cool. Ideally, you want the temperature of this water to be around 150-160F or 70C (use a thermometer for better accuracy).
Once the pasta is cooked to your desired doneness, immediately transfer to the butter and add 1/3 cup pasta water and your cheese. Stir vigorously (still off the heat), adding pasta water as needed, until a creamy sauce is achieved. Adjust seasoning for salt to your preference.
Serve immediately in a warm bowl with additional parmesan and optional freshly cracked black pepper and enjoy!
Notes
My #1 tip when using the pasta water to make the cream sauce is DO NOT ADD IT DIRECTLY FROM THE POT. The water is going to be too hot, and the higher temperature of the water will melt the cheese too fast and create a clumpy sauce! Reserve your pasta water in a separate measuring cup and aim to have it at 150-160F or about 70C before adding more to the sauce (1-2 minutes of resting). I like to use this infrared thermometer to easily measure the temperature of the water.
Nutrition
Calories: 251kcalCarbohydrates: 0.02gProtein: 0.3gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 231mgPotassium: 8mgSugar: 0.02gVitamin A: 875IUCalcium: 12mgIron: 0.01mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Tried this recipe?Mention @cj.eats_ or tag #cjeatsrecipes!
