Authentic Alfredo Sauce
This authentic alfredo sauce recipe is made with four simple ingredients (fettuccine pasta, parmigiano cheese, butter, and freshly cracked pepper). It only takes 20 minutes to prepare! This is the original Italian recipe for fettuccine alfredo.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- ½ cup grass fed butter at room temperature; divided
- 1 pound fettuccine pasta or other long pasta; preferably bronze cut
- 1½ cups Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese finely grated; plus more for serving
- freshly ground black pepper to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Divide the butter into six equal pieces, then place half of the butter on a large serving platter.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the fettuccine until al dente according to package directions. Save 1 cup of the starchy pasta water before straining.
- Add half the pasta water (½ cup) to the serving platter with the butter. Stir the butter with the hot pasta water to melt the butter.
- Add the hot pasta to the serving platter. Using kitchen tongs, mix the until butter sauce coats all the strands of pasta.
- Add the rest of the butter and pasta water. Mix the pasta with the kitchen tongs until a smooth, creamy sauce forms. Keep moving the pasta until all the butter melts. Add the freshly grated parmigiano cheese and keep mixing until it's fully melted and well combined.
- Serve immediately. Top individual portions with extra parmigiano cheese and freshly grated black pepper if desired.
Video
Notes
- Salt the water to flavor the pasta from the inside out as it cooks; only cook until al dente. Get more tips in my guide to How Long to Boil Spaghetti or Pasta Perfectly.
- Grate your cheese preferably with a microplane (or a cheese grater), and use real Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for the creamiest result and quickest melting. The finer the grate, the more smooth your sauce will be since it will melt faster. For a little more texture, use a coarser grate.
- Do not use imitation parmigiano/low quality, American-made Parmesan cheeses, or your sauce will be clumpy. Serve immediately while the sauce is still smooth and creamy.
- I doubt there will be leftovers, but just in case, here is how to store and reheat your fettuccine alfredo pasta. Let pasta cool slightly and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat the leftover on the stovetop. Add a little water and extra parmigiano cheese, and heat on medium heat until heated. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 524kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 538mg | Potassium: 212mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 715IU | Calcium: 327mg | Iron: 2mg
