Fettuccine Alfredo. Only 5 ingredients!!

Fettuccine Alfredo. Using only 5 ingredients. Simple preparation and top quality ingredients ensure the best, creamiest and most flavourful Fettuccine Alfredo every time.

Fettuccine Alfredo

I was inspired to post this Fettuccine Alfredo recipe for a friend who asked me how I make mine. When she asked, I was reminded of a chain restaurant I went to a couple of years ago with a group of coworkers.

I may get a take-out meal from a chain restaurant on occasion but they are generally not my choice for a full service, sit down meal. The reason most often is the shortcuts they make for convenience and the quality of ingredients is often not up to par. 

Parmigiano reggiano. The better quality the parmesan, the better the Alfredo sauce.

On that visit I thought the Fettuccine Alfredo with Grilled Chicken seemed like a safe bet. I was wrong.

The sauce was flat, flavourless and appeared to have been somehow thickened partly by cornstarch. It was no better than wallpaper paste.

I suspect it wasn’t prepared on site but probably bulk prepared at a food production facility and shipped in. That’s certainly not what I pay for in a good restaurant meal.

Fettuccine Alfredo

Don’t make Fettuccine Alfredo heavier than it needs to be. 

Many people also make Fettuccine Alfredo much heavier than it needs to be, adding over the top ingredients like cream cheese. I especially object to the cream cheese type recipes because the cheese is too strongly flavoured.

This often overpowers the flavours of the garlic and Parmesan which should be front and centre.

Cream and butter make the best base for this sauce. The much used Italian practice of reserving a little of the pasta water to help regulate the thickness of pasta sauces is a secret to success here too.

I didn’t count the salt and pepper or the pasta water in the ingredients number or the optional herbs either. It was labelled as such just to give an idea  of the essential ingredients of the recipe.

The dish can stand on its own as a great lunch, as a starter course, or as a side dish for endless entree options.

Fettuccine Alfredo with grilled chicken bacon and tomato

We often use this basic recipe t0 add things like peppers, tomatoes, bacon and grilled chicken or shrimp for a complete pasta meal.

Crisp cooked bacon is a great addition on its own too!

Originally published September 2016.

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Fettuccine Alfredo

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Fettuccine Alfredo - using only 6 ingredients

Yield: 6 as a side dish

Prep Time: 8 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Fettuccine Alfredo - using only 5 ingredients. Simple preparation and top quality ingredients ensure the best, creamiest and most flavourful Fettuccine Alfredo every time.

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Ingredients

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• 3/4 pound package fresh fettuccine pasta, about 350 grams
• 1/3 cup real dairy butter, no substitutes
• 6 cloves finely chopped fresh garlic
• 2 cups whipping cream, 35% milk fat or greater
• salt and pepper to season
• 2 cups finely grated parmesan cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano is best
• 1-2 teaspoons finely chopped Italian parsley, basil or oregano (optional)
• in Some reserved water used boiling the pasta

Instructions

1. Cook the fresh fettuccine in well salted boiling water as directed on the package. Be careful not to overcook the pasta; al dente or even a little under is best for this recipe.
2. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan and add the chopped garlic over medium low heat. Cook until the garlic softens but does not brown.
3. Add the whipping cream and simmer on medium heat for a few minutes until the volume reduces slightly.
4. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. (Careful with he salt, if you don't want to use it that's fine, there is plenty in the parmesan cheese to provide seasoning)
5. Add the drained cooked pasta to the pan and sprinkle in about 1/3 of the parmesan cheese. Toss well.
6. Add the rest of the cheese in 2 portions tossing well after each addition. If at any time the alfredo sauce gets too thick, just add a little splash of the pasta water to loosen it up before adding more cheese.
7. If using the fresh herbs, toss them in at the very end.
8. Serve immediately.

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Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.

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Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1 serving
Amount Per Serving Calories 682Total Fat 50gSaturated Fat 31gTrans Fat 2gUnsaturated Fat 15gCholesterol 149mgSodium 799mgCarbohydrates 41gFiber 2gSugar 3gProtein 19g

The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.

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