Perfect, creamy, classic, restaurant quality Fettuccine Alfredo. Indulgent – definitely. Everyone thinks it is SO unhealthy. But it’s only 420 calories for a decent size serving – did you know that?! Sure, not the most nutritious meal. But you won’t go up a jeans size! (Unless you eat 3 servings for yourself….)
Fettucine Alfredo
I triple checked the nutrition analysis because I couldn’t believe my eyes when it came out with only 420 calories for a good size serving of this pasta. I have it in my head that Alfredo is so bad for you because it’s made with cream. Sure, there’s a high fat content. But the calories are a lot less than I expected. A LOT less.
Maybe because this is a recipe that uses the classic Italian method of emulsifying the pasta (which is the magic that happens when you briefly cook the sauce with the pasta + some pasta water).
By doing this, the sauce gets thick, rich and glossy so it clings lusciously to every single strand (take a close look at the photo above!). So you don’t need to use an entire tub of cream to make a beautiful, restaurant quality Alfredo pasta.
I have seen recipes around that use double the amount of cream I use. It’s completely unnecessary and makes it sickeningly rich. If anyone tells me they don’t think this is rich enough, I’ll honestly fall off my chair. 🙂
I was 24 before I had my first Alfredo pasta. Seriously. My mother never, ever cooked with cream – it’s just not the done thing in Japanese home cooking! And now I believe to my very core that cooking with cream for midweek meals is just not acceptable. Which is why you see so many “creamy but made with no cream” recipes here on RecipeTin Eats. I grew up learning all the other ways to make creamy sauces other than using cream.
I think my mother will actually be quite shocked when she sees that I’m sharing an Alfredo pasta. And once she gets over that, the next thing she’ll do is send me an email asking me “who ate all that pasta?”. Hmph!
So I was well into my twenties before I tried Alfredo at a restaurant. Of course I loved it. I mean, who wouldn’t? All that creamy, buttery sauce coating every strand of pasta. Just. So. Good. And SO EASY to make (with just a few simple but critical tips 🙂 ).
So now that you know Alfredo is not as guilty an indulgence as you previously thought….on the menu for dinner this week? Just plonk some raw carrots on the side to make it a complete meal! 😉 Nagi x
PS Truly, this is what it should look like – each strand with sauce clinging to it, not swimming in cream sauce! The only way to achieve this thick glossy sauce that sticks to the pasta is with step 7 in the recipe – emulsifying. Learn it, love it, and use it for every pasta you make. 🙂
More ways to get your creamy pasta fix!
Baked Mac and Cheese – and try the Shrimp version!
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Fettuccine Alfredo
Ingredients
- 8 oz / 250g dried fettuccine
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 small shallot , very finely minced (eschallot in Australia) (Note 1)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (Note 2)
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or parmesan (Notes 3 and 4)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Good grind of black pepper
Garnish
- Fresh parsley (optional)
- Extra Parmigiano Reggiano
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente (still firm but just cooked through). (Note 5)
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a deep fry pan over medium high heat. (Note 6)
- Add the shallots and sauté for 2 minutes or until tender.
- Add the cream and bring to boil. Turn heat down to medium low and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Remove the fry pan from the heat and stir through the Parmigiano Reggiano, salt and pepper until the sauce is smooth.
- TAKE OUT 1/4 cup of pasta water PLUS scoop out an extra mug (extra, just in case). Then drain the pasta in a colander.
- Transfer the pasta and 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water into the fry pan with the sauce. Return the fry pan to the stove over medium high heat. Toss very gently to coat the pasta in the sauce and allow the sauce to emulsify (Note 6) for 1 minute. (Note 7)
- Remove from the stove and serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh parsley, if using.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
And to finish up…a peek into Dozer’s hard life. Morning at the beach (is it winter?!). Afternoon eyeing off the Alfredo pasta. Yes I managed to resist that face. Took a lot of will power! 🙂
Alfredo as it should be imo. Quality Parm reg really makes all the difference. I typically use garlic and really enjoyed the shallots in its place, a much milder and less dominating garlicky-onion accent. Not sure why I never tried that!
Agree re: the cream Nagi, less is more! I went scant on the Parm reg too and it was still mega rich.
Many thanks!
Holly x
Oh my goodness! Made this for the first time. Added fresh garlic with the shallot, and sautéed prawns on top served to guests with a Chardonnay. All commented it was full restaurant quality. Yum!
Easy and delicious! Can’t ask for a better combo.
I loved the addition of shallots as I’ve never thought to use them in my alfredo sauce, but it added a lil extra something and made it over the top for me.
Yet another one of your recipes going in my personal favorites cookbook.
best and easily recipe i;ve made
Woah what a compliment, thanks so much Ada!! N x
My daughter wanted carbonara a few days ago so I went to my go to recipe guru. Unfortunately I didn’t have the proper ingredients but managed to cobble it together with shop grated parmesan and greak yogurt. She ate it but it was very grainy, smelt like old socks and really didn’t look at all appetizing. Tried it again tonight with the right ingredients, she’s veggie so used quorn and some broccoli. Turned out perfectly, very creamy even with a very small amount. She said it was really nice. Complement indeed. DON’T use pre grated parmesan.
Loved it! Perfect as is and so easy to make.Never disappointed with your recipes!
Beautiful. Easy to make and delicious!
This recipe was so simple but tasted expensive. The sauce was the perfect amount — light and not too cloying. I didn’t need to use any extra pasta water — it was perfect as is.
Yuuuum this is just the thing for a midweek treat. I used penne pasta, and I added some chopped up champagne ham and a handful of baby peas. Meat and vegetables makes it a balanced meal you know.
Hi Nagi, I made this sauce and it was great. I’m wanting to make a blue cheese sauce to go with gnocchi do you think I could substitute the parmesan for blue cheese please?
Hi Cheryl, I haven’t tried with this one sorry – One for me to add to my recipe requests page! N x
Hi Nagi,
I’m 12 years old and this is the first meal I ever made by myself. It was fun to make and delicious to eat! You are a very talented chef! <3
Woah go girl!!! I love hearing this!!! N x
AMAZING! loved it ! thank you for all the great tips too !
You’re so welcome Sheryl!!! N x
Loved it. Added grilled asparagus and salmon.
YUM! The perfect combo Terri! N x
You have found your calling, for that I am forever grateful.
great!
Thanks Brenda!
wow, this is great!
Thank you so much for making the new feature to save recipes! Already started!! 😁
WOOT! Thanks Sandra – N x
Sooooooo good. Best Alfredo sauce I’ve ever had and I made it myself! Thank you!
That’s great to hear Emily! – N x
Absolutely unbelievably yummy and took the amount of time it takes to cook the pasta. I added some crispy bacon and baby spinach for the win!
Excellent : )
Thanks so much Ryan!
Worth every calorie and so easy to prepare! Believe in the power of the pasta water! I might have doubled the sauce and added sauteed shrimp 🙂 Another winner!
That’s so great to hear Erica! Thank you for taking the time to let me know! N x
I’ve never made an Alfredo sauce before, always assumed it would be high in fat (cream ). And I also thought it would be more labour Intensive. This recipe broke both of those assumptions!
This really was easy and so good. Next time I will try the chicken Alfredo.🙂
Follow up. I reheated the leftovers for lunch today (saved about a quarter cup of the pasta water as well).
It was just as good today as it was last night for dinner! I used a frying pan and added a small amount of the pasta water at a time to break up the pasta and heat through. Just needed a grind of pepper and it was done.
Yum!
You saved the pasta water? I LOVE that!!
I’m so pleased to hear you enjoyed it Sandra! Thank you very much for your message – N xx