Ciao Bellos and Bellas! February is the month of Love, and nothings says love to me like a Fettuccine Alfredo recipe.
Now I did not make today’s dish with fettuccine, and my pasta is red, but the sauce is perfect. I spent a little extra time throwing together a red pasta made with beet puree for Valentines day. The colour is great but I don’t find it adds any taste. The written recipe is below, or you can watch my video.
Alfredo sauce comes from Rome. It is a simple combination of good butter and good Parmesan cheese. No cream ever! Created by a restaurateur named Alfredo in the 1950’s, it was tossed table side in a ceramic bowl and served to movie stars with golden utensils. Below is the recipe, but the golden utensils are up to you.
Due to demand I added an extra hands on fresh pasta class next Sunday, March 1st. All my other fresh pasta classes are sold-out. Here is the link to Join Me!
Enjoy the recipe! Please feel free to email me with questions, suggestions or tag me pictures of your version on Instagram or Facebook @pastaboypeter. Now go and always #EatwiththoseyouLove TM
The real Roman Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe
By Peter Ciuffa of Pasta Boy Peter Inc.
As with any recipe always use safe cooking procedures, & food safe practices. Health Canada is a great site for all food safe guidelines. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/topics/food-safety.html
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp of butter per person. Cut the butter into even pieces so they melt at the same rate.
Keep an extra Tbsp of butter on hand in case you need to add it at the end of cooking.
2 Tbsp of finely grated Parmigiano. Have more parmesan, pre-grated or grate as you go, ready to complete the recipe.
Black pepper
Kosher Salt
Nutmeg to taste. I prefer freshly grated but you can use the pre-grated stuff as well.
Equipment:
Large Pasta Pot
Ladle
Cheese Grater and/or Micro plane
Pasta Strainer
Wooden Spoon
Tongs
Large frying or sauté pan that can hold all the pasta. If you don’t have a pan this large make the sauce in your pan and gently warm a large ceramic bowl with a half a cup of pasta water. Discard the water in the bowl and toss the pasta and sauce in the bowl.
Alfredo Sauce Instructions:
Start your pasta water boiling. Make sure to salt it so that it tastes like the Mediterranean Sea. You want to start your sauce approximately 10 minutes before your pasta is cooked.
Set a heavy bottomed fry pan or skillet on the stove at a medium heat.
Add your butter to the pan, and melt it. Make sure it does not burn by turning down the heat as needed.
Once your butter has melted, add the Parmesan cheese.
Stir the butter and cheese until they are thoroughly mixed together. That will only take a moment.
Remove from the heat.
Add a pinch of salt and pepper, plus a grate of nutmeg to the sauce. Be gentle on the spices as you can add more, after the pasta has been tossed in.
Add your pasta to the boiling water.
If you are using fresh pasta return your sauce pan to a medium low heat as soon as the pasta floats.
If you’re using dry pasta return your sauce pan to a medium low heat when the pasta is approximately two minutes away from being cooked to al dente.
Add half a ladle of pasta water to your sauce and stir.
When your pasta is cooked to al dente strain it well, and toss it into the sauce.
Toss and/or stir for 30 seconds to a minute.
The starchy water, pasta, cheese and butter should begin to combine into a light creamy sauce. If the sauce is very liquid and has not emulsified, fat and starch blending, you can add a bit more butter and Parmesean. You would then continue to swirl and toss the pasta, on and off the heat, until you achieve the desired consistency.
If the sauce is too thick, add pasta water, toss, and swirl until it comes to the consistency you prefer.
Take the pan off the heat and taste the pasta for seasoning. Add extra seasoning to taste.
Plate the pasta and finish it with more Parmesan. Now you can now create your own real Roman Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce recipe.
Hope to see you at cooking class Vancouver but until then go and remember to always #EatwiththoseyouLove TM
Peter
Pasta Boy Peter
Cooking Classes Vancouver
Copyright Peter Ciuffa of Pasta Boy Peter Inc. 2020