This creamy pasta dish is a family favorite!
Alfredo sauce was created by a chef named Alfredo di Lelio in 1914. He ran a restaurant on Via della Scrofa in Rome, Italy. He tossed fresh-made pasta together with butter and Parmesan cheese, for his wife to eat, to help her with nausea during a pregnancy. The Alfredo pasta dish was eventually added to the restaurant’s menu. In 1920, two American silent film stars, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, tasted the Alfredo sauce with fettuccine pasta at the restaurant, asked for the recipe, and brought it home to the United States. The dish became very popular in the United States, but it did not do as well in Italy.
I have adored Alfredo pasta ever since I was a little girl. My parents would take me to Italian restaurants, and my eyes would widen as a plate of Alfredo pasta was placed before me. I would savor every bite. As an adult it is still a guilty pleasure of mine. I have experimented with different recipes over the years and have created one using typical household ingredients.
Alfredo Pasta Recipe
Serves 4
Vegetarian
Prep Time 10 min
Cook Time 20 min
Wine Pairing Suggestion: Pinot Grigio
Ingredients
8 oz dried spaghetti pasta
2 tablespoons butter
1/8 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon garlic minced
2 cups milk
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried parsley
Directions
Boil pasta to al dente firmness according to package directions.
In a large pan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk together to make a rue.
Add garlic to the pan and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the milk and mix together. Whisk in the cheese. Slowly stir mixture until cheese is melted, and the sauce is thick and smooth. This will take about 5 minutes. If the sauce is gritty, keep stirring until smooth.
Salt and pepper to taste and stir for 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of parsley to sauce and stir for 1 minute.
Lower heat to simmer. Add pasta and let the flavors of sauce meld with the pasta for 2 minutes.
Serve hot and garnish with remaining parsley.
Feel free to experiment with different types of pasta in this dish. Long pastas like fettuccine and spaghetti work best. Fresh pasta can really elevate the flavors of this dish, just make sure to adjust the cooking time.
If you want some veggies in this dish, add some broccoli.
If you want more protein in this dish you can add grilled chicken breast.
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