Fettuccine Alfredo is one of the most popular dishes in Italian restaurants around the world. The creamy flavors of parmesan and garlic coated over fettuccine noodles is hard to beat. Like many of the best Italian pasta dishes, our fettuccine Alfredo recipe has only a handful of ingredients, and most important, tastes incredible!
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What is Fettuccine Alfredo
Fettuccine Alfredo consists of cooked fettuccine noodles coated in a creamy Alfredo sauce that consists of garlic, heavy whipping cream, and parmesan cheese. I often garnish with fresh chopped parsley shortly before serving as well.
If you don’t have fettuccine noodles around, you can use a different type of noodle or gluten-free noodles.
How to Make Fettuccine Alfredo
Great fettuccine Alfredo starts with great Alfredo sauce. After experimenting with several different versions of Alfredo, I quickly learned to stick to the basics. I now only use the simple four ingredient recipe below as it’s the most flavorful of any I’ve tasted. Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make this simple, yet delicious pasta dish:
1. Follow the instructions on the pasta package to cook the fettuccine noodles al dente.
2. While the pasta is cooking, finely grate the parmesan cheese. I recommend starting with a block of parmesan cheese rather than the pre-packaged shredded parmesan. However, if you only have pre-shredded cheese, I would run it through a food processor before adding to the sauce to make sure it’s finely shredded and will melt easier. I strongly discourage you from using the powdered cheese in a shaker as it won’t melt into the sauce very well.
3. To make the Alfredo, start by melting the butter on medium heat in a skillet. You can cut the butter into pieces to speed up the process.
4. Once the butter is melted, add the minced garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant (around a minute or two).
5. After the garlic is cooked, add the heavy whipping cream and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently to make sure your cream doesn’t burn.
6. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
7. After the sauce is done simmering, slowly add the grated parmesan cheese, stirring constantly until the cheese is melted and incorporated into the sauce.
8. Gently mix the cooked fettuccine into the sauce until all the noodles are evenly coated.
9. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, serve, and enjoy!
Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe
Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Skillet
- 1 Fine Cheese Grater
- 1 Pot for Cooking Fettuccine
- 1 Strainer
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Fettuccine
- 1 1/2 Cups Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 1/2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/2 Cup Butter
- 4 Cloves Garlic (minced)
- Fresh Parsley Chopped for Garnishing
Instructions
- Follow the instructions on the pasta package to cook the fettuccine noodles al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, finely grate the parmesan cheese. I recommend starting with a block of parmesan cheese rather than the pre-packaged shredded parmesan. However, if you only have pre-shredded cheese, I would run it through a food processor before adding to the sauce to make sure it's finely shredded and will melt easier. I strongly discourage you from using the powdered cheese in a shaker as it won't melt into the sauce very well.
- To make the Alfredo, start by melting the butter on medium heat in a skillet. You can cut the butter into pieces to speed up the process.
- Once the butter is melted, add the minced garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant (around a minute or two).
- After the garlic is cooked, add the heavy whipping cream and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently to make sure your cream doesn't burn.
- Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- After the sauce is done simmering, slowly add the grated parmesan cheese, stirring constantly until the cheese is melted and incorporated into the sauce.
- Gently mix the cooked fettuccine into the sauce until all the noodles are evenly coated.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, serve, and enjoy!
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Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Is fettuccine Alfredo gluten-free?
While my Alfredo sauce is naturally gluten-free, many Alfredo sauces contain gluten as they use flour to thicken them up. In addition, the pasta noodles will most likely contain gluten as well. So if you’re sensitive to gluten and you want to enjoy fettuccine Alfredo, make sure you use a gluten-free pasta and with an Alfredo sauce that’s also gluten-free.
Is fettuccine Alfredo an authentic Italian dish?
While the term fettuccine Alfredo was coined by an Italian chef in the early 1900’s, the dish wasn’t the creamy sauce that most Westerner’s think of today. It instead referred to a pasta with butter and cheese. The creamy sauce that is served in Western Italian restaurants was developed in the West using Italian flavors.
Final Thoughts on Fettuccine Alfredo
Being my wife’s favorite pasta dish, fettuccine Alfredo is a popular meal in our house. I hope you love this recipe as much as we do. Happy cooking!
Check out the following links for more great recipes:
Classic Roasted Chicken Recipe
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Penne alla Vodka with Spicy Vodka Sauce
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