# "Authentic" Fettuccine Alfredo



## Andy M. (May 10, 2017)

Twenty or twenty-five years ago, a woman I was dating taught me how to make  fettuccine Alfredo.  I was just learning how to cook and she was much more adept.  She gave me a basic recipe using butter, cheese and heavy cream.  I've been making it that way, with and without additions, since then.

I subsequently learned that recipe wasn't authentic as the original recipe was butter, cheese and pasta cooking water.  I've never tried to make it this way until today.

I got a pasta maker for a Christmas gift and have used it a couple of times.  Earlier this week, I defrosted a disk of pasta dough leftover from another effort and my GD and I made fresh fettuccine to go with Alfredo sauce for dinner the other night. I made that recipe with cream as I wanted to experiment with the original recipe when it wasn't a family meal.  I reserved a small portion of pasta dough for the experiment.

Today's lunch was the experiment.  I rolled out some fettuccine noodles and cooked them in a smaller than usual amount of water to ensure I had a starchy enough liquid.  Meanwhile I melted some butter and readied some parm reg.

I drained the noodles and saved some of the water, added the pasta to the butter, added the cheese and some of the water.  Everything got tossed together.  What started out looking like a watery mess came together to create a nice creamy sauce for the pasta.  A little salt and pepper and I had a fantastic lunch.

First of all, fresh made and cut pasta is noticeably different and better than dry. Second, the flavor of the cheese stands out more in the absence of the extra fat from the cream.  As the pasta cooled on my plate, the sauce thickened.  I probably could have added a little more water. On the whole it was a very good experience.  I'll have to experiment on the family next time.  GD is lactose intolerant so the absence of cream will be better for her.

I think my next pasta experiment will be to make lasagna noodles.  I just have to figure out the right thickness.


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## Sagittarius (May 10, 2017)

Wonderful news ..


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## caseydog (May 10, 2017)

Thanks for sharing your experiment.

I like Fettuccini Alfredo, but always wondered how authentic it was, because it was really heavy. What you did in your experiment sounds more "Italian" to me. To me, real Italian pasta dishes satisfy your hunger, but don't make you feel "stuffed." 

Let us know how the lasagna turns out. I love lasagna -- I just need to learn not to eat a Garfield portion size. (Oooops, you have to click the link to watch the video)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75PCq-Wcdhw

CD


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## Andy M. (May 10, 2017)

Funny, that's what happens in my kitchen when I make lasagna. I always make sure the goat has clean hooves.


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## Sagittarius (May 11, 2017)

What a fantastic Video !!

It is hilarious.   Thank you for posting. 

An Italian friend of mine, authored an amazing book on Authenticity of Italian classics around the world. The book comes in English on a PDF via Amazon and it is called:
Fettuccine Alfredo, Spaghetti Bolognaise & Caesar Salad. 

It is astoundingly incredible how the  interpretations of other nations re invent the classics of another country.


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## CraigC (May 11, 2017)

Sagittarius said:


> What a fantastic Video !!
> 
> It is hilarious.   Thank you for posting.
> 
> ...



That is one of the reasons I try and stay away from words like authentic and traditional when it comes to food.


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## Sagittarius (May 11, 2017)

People from hamlets, villages, tiny towns worldwide, still take great pride in their local naturally grown ingredients and their food and wine culture. 

These particular recipes are " historical " and when, they are prepared in another nation, what happens is, that the local product, and interpretation changes quite a bit.  

This is the same for an American Apple Pie, as it is for a lasagne or pizza or sushi or paella ..  

The products are different and in uncountable situations, the nuances are enormous, especially in fish and shellfish varieties, rice types, beef variations, kinds of fruit etcetra. 

One can grow apples in Washington State, New York State, however, apples in Asturias or Normandy or Japan are different.  So, an apple pie, is going to taste a little different. 

Obvious.  

I think, most people use the words classic or traditional to indicate that the original dish is based in food culture  history of a specific place ..   

It is different when someone is born and raised in a place and they prepare a historical dish, then when a person thousands of kilometres away, prepares the same recipe. Both are probably wonderful, however, there will be a difference due to, water, climate, local product and even the seasonings and what goes into the recipe.  

Authenticity and traditional or classic are just words indicating a historical significance, whether it is a particular family´s  tradition or a Roman or Greek historical tradition from centuries ago. 

Have a nice day.


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## medtran49 (May 11, 2017)

I was always under the impression that European butter, at least when this dish was "invented," contained a lot more fat/cream than American butter, which is where adding the heavy cream came in.


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## Andy M. (May 11, 2017)

_


CraigC said:



			That is one of the reasons I try and stay away from words like authentic and traditional when it comes to food.
		
Click to expand...

_
This is why I put the word "Authentic" in quotes.

_


medtran49 said:



			I was always under the impression that European butter, at least when this dish was "invented," contained a lot more fat/cream than American butter, which is where adding the heavy cream came in.
		
Click to expand...

_
European butters often have a higher fat content than American butter.  That difference can be offset by adding a little more butter.  The water cooks off and you're left with more fat...

Fettuccine Alfredo is one of the few classic dishes that can be traced to a specific single point of origin.  So one can have a higher degree of confidence that the original recipe is being followed.


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## buckytom (May 11, 2017)

Sounds really good Andy.

I am giving DW a pasta maker this Sunday for Mother's Day.

It was originally intended to be used to make pierogies, but I think if she gets into it, we will be eating a lot of fresh pasta. I know our son loves pasta, especially without tomato sauce. If we could make an alfredo sauce without using cream, I see that as a really possible hit in our house.

Thanks for the write up and idea.


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## CraigC (May 11, 2017)

Andy M. said:


> *This is why I put the word "Authentic" in quotes.*
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I realize that and I believe I quoted the person I was directing my reply to.


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## Andy M. (May 11, 2017)

CraigC said:


> I realize that and I believe I quoted the person I was directing my reply to.



My bad.


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## taxlady (May 12, 2017)

buckytom said:


> Sounds really good Andy.
> 
> *I am giving DW a pasta maker this Sunday for Mother's Day.
> *
> ...


Oh dear. Appliances for Mother's Day, etc. might not be appreciated.


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## buckytom (May 12, 2017)

It's not exactly a vacuum cleaner or washing machine. 


My wife has really gotten into cooking lately, and after getting a lesson from my neighbor on how to make pierogies like her mother made, I know she will love it.

Besides the flowers, a card, and dinner wherever she wants to go fills out the gift, so no worries, taxy.


Getting back to the thread, Andy, what kind of pasta maker do you have?


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## Andy M. (May 12, 2017)

I think it's an Imperial (not an Imperia).  It looks like this only it's red.  In addition to rolling the pasta sheets, it cuts fettuccine and a much thinner version that could sub for spaghetti.


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## Stock Pot (May 24, 2017)

I'm going to have to give fresh pasta another try. I tried it years ago (fettuccine) and didn't like it as much as dried. But I do love Ravioli and that's made with fresh pasta. Our local supermarket has it all made and rolled out so I am thinking of trying that and making my own ravioli filling.


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## dragnlaw (May 24, 2017)

*Stockpot* - I'm thinking that you are going to be one happy Ravioli maker - the filling combo's are amazing not to mention _numerous_!

*Sagittarius* - _Well said!_ My belief's precisely!


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## di reston (May 24, 2017)

It's called 'Imperia', after the city of Imperia, on the Italian Riviera, where it was originally, and probably, still is.

di reston


Enough is never as good as a feast     Oscar Wilde


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## di reston (May 24, 2017)

Should've put 'made' at the end of the sentence!


di reston


Enough is never as good as a feast     Oscar Wilde


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## HeidiCooksSupper (May 26, 2017)

Never underestimate the power of good pasta water!  I always try to dip a cup measure into the pot to rescue some pasta water before draining.  This is great stuff for finishing almost any pasta sauce!


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## dragnlaw (May 26, 2017)

*Pasta Water Tip*

don't remember from which TV chef I got this - 

so you don't forget to save some pasta water -

while you are waiting for your pasta to cook...

put a (heat safe) bowl or measuring cup directly under your colander/sieve in the sink.

So when you drain your pasta - - -

 presto, bingo you have your water!

works for me!


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## Andy M. (May 26, 2017)

America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Country puts a measuring cup in a big strainer and just pours the water and pasta into the strainer.  You end up with drained pasta and a cup of pasta water.


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## dragnlaw (May 26, 2017)

Thanks *Andy*, perhaps that is where I got it from, I still don't remember. But I do know if I leave the cup inside the strainer a lot of the pasta falls into the cup as well and I have to fish it out.


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## CraigC (May 26, 2017)

Any of you folks use a pasta pot that has a basket/strainer? With some straight, thin pasta you may loose a little through the strainer holes, but you won't loose much. You will have a whole pot of pasta water left to take out as much as you like at your leisure.


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## taxlady (May 26, 2017)

The recipe I use for fettuccine Alfredo says to take the pasta out of the pot with tongs and drop it into the butter (or butter and cream if using that version) so you get some of the water clinging to the pasta. The recipe specifies not to drain the pasta. That method also leaves an entire pot of pasta water.


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## GotGarlic (May 26, 2017)

taxlady said:


> The recipe I use for fettuccine Alfredo says to take the pasta out of the pot with tongs and drop it into the butter (or butter and cream if using that version) so you get some of the water clinging to the pasta. The recipe specifies not to drain the pasta. That method also leaves an entire pot of pasta water.


That's what I do, with all kinds of pasta. 

I have a large stockpot and a smaller stainless steel Dutch oven that have strainer baskets, but it takes so much water to fill them enough to make pasta that I never use them.


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## dragnlaw (May 26, 2017)

A lot of chefs when doing 'Italian' pasta, remove the pasta from the water with tongs or a spider like basket. Ergo you have all your pasta water to hand.  Perhaps it is a North American thing to 'drain'?


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## dcgator (Jun 14, 2017)

Alfredo is not an Italian invention. You will never find it anywhere in a restaurant in Italy except for touristy places that cater to Americans. Same with spaghetti and meat balls. That's another American invention. Having said that cook and eat what you like!


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## Andy M. (Jun 14, 2017)

Actually, Alfredo's origin is fairly well documented as a restaurant in Rome by a chef named Alfredo. Feel free to investigate.


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## Andy M. (Jun 14, 2017)

Spaghetti and meatballs are also both Italian. The idea of serving them together is an American one.


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## taxlady (Jun 15, 2017)

Andy M. said:


> Spaghetti and meatballs are also both Italian. The idea of serving them together is an American one.


True


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## di reston (Jun 15, 2017)

Fettucine all'Alfredo is 100% an Italian recipe, and well documented. The original doesn't, however, have cream in it. Savoury recipes that include cream are totally anathema to southern Italians. The dish was the creation of a well known Roman restaurateur whose restaurant was in Via della Strofa, Rome, a restaurant that attracted many famous Hollywood actors and other glitterati in the Dolce Vita era. Rome was a wonderful place then, thronging with the famous, the wealthy and the intellectuals who mingled in places like Alfredo's. It was an amazing place to be, then - and I speak from experience - and a place that left a lasting impression. I've never been anywhare like it since.

di reston


Enough is never as good as a feast     Oscar Wilde


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## CarolPa (Jun 17, 2017)

CraigC said:


> Any of you folks use a pasta pot that has a basket/strainer? With some straight, thin pasta you may loose a little through the strainer holes, but you won't loose much. You will have a whole pot of pasta water left to take out as much as you like at your leisure.




I have one of these, and I use it when I make chicken soup.  I just lift out the strainer than contains the chicken, bones, vegetables, etc, and just leaves the broth in the pot.


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