Recipes

The Original Fettuccine Alfredo

  • Serves

    4–6

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MURRAY HALL; FOOD STYLING BY JESSIE YUCHEN

By SAVEUR Editors


Published on February 17, 2011

Mixing the ingredients on a warmed platter will help them melt quickly to make a satiny sauce. For the best results, use dried pasta, which doesn’t break as easily during tossing as fresh egg pasta does.

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. dried fettuccine
  • 12 lb. unsalted butter (2 sticks)
  • 12 lb. finely grated parmesan (about 3 1⁄4 cup)

Instructions

Step 1

Bring a 6-qt. pot of salted water to a boil. Add fettuccine and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes.

Step 2

Meanwhile, cut butter into thin pats and transfer to a large, warmed platter. Drain pasta, reserving 3⁄4 cup pasta water, and place the pasta over the butter on the platter.

Step 3

Sprinkle grated parmesan over the pasta and drizzle with 1⁄4 cup of the reserved pasta water.

Step 4

Using a large spoon and fork, gently toss the pasta with the butter and cheese, lifting and swirling the noodles and adding more pasta water as necessary. (The pasta water will help create a smooth sauce.) Work in any melted butter and cheese that pools around the edges of the platter. Continue to mix the pasta until the cheese and butter have fully melted and the noodles are coated, about 3 minutes. (For a quicker preparation, bring the reserved 3⁄4 cup pasta water and the butter to a boil in a 12" skillet; then add the pasta, sprinkle with the cheese, and toss with tongs over medium-low heat until the pasta is creamy and coated, about 2 minutes.)

Step 5

Serve the fettuccine immediately on warmed plates.

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