A white oval dish filled with cooked fettuccine pasta coated in a creamy sauce sits on a wooden board next to a stovetop.

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Fettuccine Alfredo

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The story of this classic pasta dish from Rome starts the same way so many of my favorite dishes do, as an act of true love. It’s no secret that food is my love language, something I have in common with Alfredo di Lelio, the creator of this magical pasta dish.

As the story goes, a few days after Alfredo’s gorgeous wife Ines gave birth to a baby boy, she was feeling ill and nothing seemed appealing to her. To ensure the love of his life was keeping up her strength he went into the kitchen and transformed a few simple ingredients; pasta, butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano into a work of art fit for his very own queen. One bite of this luscious dish immediately brought Ines’ appetite back and Alfredo knew he was on to something.

Alfredo’s family still operates a restaurant in Rome famous for this iconic dish, and they were kind enough to share their family secrets with me. First things first, put down the cream. The beauty of Alfredo is the simplicity. Perfectly al dente fettuccine is tossed with a mountain of light and feathery Parmigiano-Reggiano, a few knobs of butter (I don’t need to tell you that European style is best here, it’s extra rich, just like you are) and tears of the pasta gods. The butter, pasta water and cheese join forces to create a bond like no other. The only garnish you need is a gentle shower of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Save the parsley for your puttanesca, this masterpiece needs nothing extra.

Illustration of the pasta queen golden crown with five rounded points and a row of circular decorations at the base.

Fettuccine Alfredo

Serves servings

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
Sea salt to taste
1 pound fresh fettuccine
250 grams /9 ounces (about 3 cups) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving

Method

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat.
Cut the butter into 2-inch segments, then squeeze it with your hands to temper the butter so it melts when it comes in contact with the cooked pasta. Set aside.
Once the water has reached a boil, season with salt until the water tastes like a seasoned soup. Drop in the homemade fettuccine and cook until they are tender, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Transfer the pasta to a large sauté pan that is off the heat. Add the butter and toss gently until it begins to melt. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and a splash of pasta water and toss gently until the sauce is thick and creamy. Add more pasta water as needed until the sauce is unbelievably silky, just like you are. Divide into warmed pasta bowls and finish with a generous flurry of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

1 Large sauté pan

1 Measuring cups

1 Cheese grater

4 Serving bowls

Homemade Fettuccine

Ingredients

Imperial or Metric

2 ¼ cups 00 flour
3 large eggs at room temperature

Method

Pour the flour onto your work surface and use your fingers or a spoon to make a well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well and gently beat them together with a fork. Little by little and working from the inside of the well to the edges, bring some flour into the egg mixture, stirring with a fork until each portion of flour is incorporated. When the egg mixture is no longer runny, begin kneading the dough with your hands, feeling how it changes beneath your fingertips as you work.
Use your whole body to rock back and forth over the dough, pressing it against your work surface until the eggs and flour have become one. Continue kneading to strengthen the dough, working it over like a lover, until it is strong and glossy and it springs back when you press a finger into it. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes.
Unwrap the pasta dough, cut it into 4 pieces and flatten each to a uniform thickness. Run each dough piece through a pasta machine, starting on the widest setting and repeating on successively thinner settings until it is almost transparent. Pasta machines typically make long sheets 6 inches wide.
For fettuccine, cut the sheet into 12-inch-long pieces. Use the 7-millimeter (0.3inch) setting to cut the pasta into thin strands, fashion them into a nest, and set aside until you are ready to cook them in salted boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes.