Recipes
How to Make Fettuccine with Alfredo Sauce
We have already extolled the rich, eggy flavor and springy, tender texture of fresh pasta in our plain pasta how-to blog. Fettuccine is all that in a classic, wide, flat shape that makes it extremely versatile — it holds up to every variety of sauce like a champ. Here, we’ve coated it in a sumptuous Alfredo, but you could easily go with meaty Bolognese or a light primavera.
What is it that makes fettuccine Alfredo feel so fancy? Maybe it’s the elegance of the velvety smooth cream sauce, maybe it’s the richness of the dish, a rare indulgence, or maybe it’s the lyricism of the Italian name — all the consonants in fettucine knocking together, the long trill of the ‘r’ in Alfredo. Whatever it is, don’t let it stop you from making Alfredo. The truth is, it’s not fussy at all. It’s like mac and cheese, all grown up in its garlic, parsley, and just a pinch of pepper.
That said, there is a trick to getting the sauce right: Take your time whisking the Parmesan cheese into the butter and cream. You want each addition of cheese to fully melt into the liquid, which will be much easier if you add a small amount at a time — and whisk continuously. This tiny bit of attentiveness yields a silky smooth sauce that coats the homemade fettuccine beautifully. The dish tastes light, creamy, and somehow, full of nostalgia, like getting a hug from your best friend, the one who just gets you.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
2 cups 00 flour
2 whole Large Gelson’s eggs
8 Large Gelson’s egg yolks
1 tsp kosher salt
1 ½ tsp good olive oil
Directions
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In the bowl of a KitchenAid stand mixer, dump in the flour, whole eggs, egg yolks, salt, and olive oil. Using the dough hook, mix on medium speed for 5 minutes. The dough will turn yellow.
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Wrap the dough ball tightly in plastic and rest it at room temperature for 1 hour. You can also make the dough ahead and store it in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.
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Once the dough is rested, divide it into four identical portions. With a rolling pin, flatten one portion and rewrap the remaining portions until you need them. Note: pasta dough left out in the open will dry out, which makes it tough to roll and cut.
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Roll the portion into a rectangle measuring roughly 4 x 8 inches and lightly flour.
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With the pasta sheeting attachment on the KitchenAid set at #1, the widest setting, feed the dough rectangle through on medium speed. Fold the dough in half and feed it through again. Repeat this step a few times to stretch the glutens in the dough and build texture.
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Move the sheeter to #2 and repeat step 5. Continue this process until you have reached #6 on the pasta sheeter. Note: For a thinner, more delicate pasta you can move up to #7 or #8.
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Once your pasta sheet is as thin as you want it to be, lay it on a flat, lightly floured surface, and cover it with plastic wrap or a tea cloth. Then move on to the next dough portion, repeating steps 4 through 6
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To make fettuccine: Switch to the fettuccine attachment of the KitchenAid.
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Cut each sheet of pasta in half, creating 8 equal half-sheets of pasta.
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Lightly flour them again and feed them through the pasta roller on medium-low speed.
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Lightly flour the noodles, twist them into a nest, and set them aside. Repeat steps 9 through 11 until all of the fettuccine is made.
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To cook: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and season generously with salt (it should taste like seawater).
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Place the pasta nests into the boiling water one at a time, agitating with a spoon so they don’t stick together, and cook for roughly 3 minutes (a tiny bit longer for a softer pasta).
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Strain the pasta and toss with a little olive oil, so the noodles don’t stick together.
Calculate nutrition information for this recipe.
Alfredo Sauce
Servings: 4
Ingredients
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 cups heavy cream
1 ½ cups shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Directions
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In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute, being careful not to brown the butter or toast the garlic.
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Whisk in the cream and continue cooking until the cream is steaming but not simmering.
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Sprinkle in the Parmesan ¼ cup at a time, whisking continuously, until all of the cheese has melted into a smooth sauce.
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Season with salt and pepper, and then spoon the sauce over the warm fettuccine noodles, garnish with Parm and parsley and serve immediately.