Don’t mess with perfection.
A rich and deeply delicious pasta, worth every creamy, cheesy bite. This authentic fettuccine Alfredo recipe is classic perfection — and takes minutes to make.
The Best Fettuccine Alfredo
This may not be a dinner for every day, but a classic, authentic bowl of fettuccine Alfredo cannot be beat. Creamy, silky, and satisfyingly flavorful thanks to a hint of garlic and generous amounts of pecorino-Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, this is one creamy pasta dinner you will truly savor.
I love creamy pasta dishes, and this ranks among my favorites, along with smoked salmon pasta, autumnal pasta with creamy pumpkin sauce, pasta Gorgonzola, and this feta yogurt pasta (trust me on this one!).
Ingredients: What is fettuccine Alfredo sauce made of?
Other than perfectly-cooked al dente fettuccine pasta, this authentic fettuccine Alfredo recipe is all about the Alfredo sauce. This Alfredo sauce recipe is an easy one, made with all the best food groups:
- Garlic
- Heavy Cream
- Butter
- Pecorino-Romano cheese
- Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
- Egg yolk
- Salt and pepper
Traditional Fettuccine Alfredo: Recipe Notes
Fettuccine Alfredo sauce tastes uniquely creamy and makes liberal use of good, aged Italian grating cheeses and cream. A bit of garlic adds an additional, subtle flavor note, making for an extraordinary result.
Here are some more recipe tips for acing Alfredo:
- Use good cheese. Do not skimp. Use actual pecorino-Romano cheese and real, aged Parmigiano-Reggiano.
- In keeping with Alfredo sauce’s retro vibe, and to add a punch of color, I like to garnish with good old-fashioned Italian parsley, with some extra black pepper on top.
The same off-heat egg technique powers this spring ramp pasta carbonara, if you want to put it to work with seasonal produce.
Who Invented the Original Fettuccine Alfredo?
The original fettuccine Alfredo recipe originated as a simple, common dish of pasta with butter and Parmigiano cheese, which Rome restaurant owner Alfredo de Lelio prepared for his pregnant wife. His wife suffered from serious morning sickness and could not eat much during her pregnancy.
Alfredo de Lelio served the simple butter and cheese pasta with whatever pasta was around in the restaurant that day. But one day, in 1927, the American silent film actors Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, on honeymoon, came to eat at the restaurant.
Fettuccine happened to be the pasta of the day when Alfredo served the couple served the butter and cheese pasta. They loved it so much that they spread the word back in Hollywood, and sent Alfredo a gift of two engraved, personalized golden spoons. Eventually, fettuccine Alfredo made its way stateside and evolved into a recipe with cream.
One of the most absolutely satisfying pastas of all time is this ragù bianco recipe, ribbons of wide pasta with a glossy, tender white meat Bolognese sauce. If you love a classic Italian pasta sauce, don’t miss classic basil pesto, an authentic pesto genovese from a world-championship-winning chef.
Is Fettuccine Alfredo Unhealthy? (The Inevitable Question)
Sigh. One might expect the answer to, “Is fettuccine Alfredo healthy?” to be a solid no. After all, fettuccine Alfredo was dubbed a “heart attack on a plate” by C.S.P.I.
But on the other hand, every well-rounded, “healthy” diet deserves a treat now and then, right? So while this authentic fettuccine Alfredo recipe may not contain vegetables, fruit, fiber, or whole grains, I do think that a special treat can be appropriate in any diet.
How to Reheat Fettuccine Alfredo
Pasta dishes rarely reheat well in the microwave, which heats the pasta but also dries out the sauce. Fettuccine Alfredo is no exception. To reheat this dish so that it comes back to its silky, creamy best:
- Add just enough water to coat the bottom of a skillet.
- Add the leftover pasta.
- Reheat on medium-low, stirring occasionally, until it becomes creamy again and warmed throughout.
Love this Alfredo dinner? You will also love these Italian comfort food dishes:
Authentic Fettuccine Alfredo
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 egg yolk
- 12 ounces fettuccine
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup pecorino-Romano cheese, grated, plus more to serve
- 12 turns freshly-cracked black pepper, plus more to serve
- kosher salt
Instructions
- Cook the fettuccine in well-salted boiling water until just shy of al dente. It is done when the pasta is slightly undercooked.
- While the water comes to a boil and the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and black pepper and cook until fragrant and sizzling, about one minute. Do not brown the garlic. It should only become deep yellow to slightly toasted in color. Lower the heat as necessary.
- Whisk together the heavy cream, egg yolk, and a large pinch of salt. Pour the cream mixture into the butter, garlic, and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir until the mixture is hot, but not bubbling. Keep warm, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked.
- Using tongs, drag the fettuccine into the cream sauce, taking a little pasta water along with it. (Reserve the pasta water.) Turn the pasta in the skillet to fully coat and finish cooking. Add the cheese and keep folding gently until the cream is mostly absorbed. Taste for seasoning. If the sauce starts looking too dry or "tight," loosen it with warm pasta water, a tablespoon or so at a time.
- Serve, garnishing with a sprinkle of minced parsley, grated cheese, and some more black pepper.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.
39 comments
lowandslow
My experience reheating Alfredo is the butter separates from noodles/cream.Do you have any tips for that other than just not having any left overs?
Unpeeled
Hi! Yes, reheating creamy pastas can be a challenge. The best way that I have found is to use a double boiler, with just a little splash of extra cream, or even water. I do this with carbonara as well, and it works like a charm! Make sure your water is simmering, not boiling, and does not touch the bottom of the pasta bowl. Stir often. Let me know if this works!
PW.
This is OUTSTANDING! I do not make this often, but I was craving it so went with this recipe, and I will have to say I will never make another. This is great. No substitutions necessary.
Jeff Winett
You have single handedly solved my years long Fettuccine Alfredo conundrum. I cannot count how many versions of this classic dish I’ve prepared over time…all have been tasty, but always something that is perhaps not totally “there”. I had my way with your dish last night, and followed your road map exclusively, other than my having no Pecorino in the house…it was all Reggiano last night. This sauce was ummmazing with my home made pasta, and besides our fantastic dinner, I never need to even think about other Alfredo renditions. Thank you so much for what you’ve shared. Healthy and happy new year!
Unpeeled
You can never go wrong with extra Parm-Regg (especially when it’s aged 24+ months), so I am so glad that you enjoyed this and shared the results. This made my day. Hope you continue to enjoy the recipes!
Karen
My husband and I loved this recipe! When I make it again I will try cutting back on the pepper a bit – the 1 1/2 tablespoons was a bit too spicy for the kids… I didn’t see at what point I was supposed to add the 1/2 cup romano and Parm, so I added it to the cream when it was hot. Was I supposed to leave it out of the cream mixture and just sprinkle it on the noodles at the end?
Unpeeled
Hi, Karen! Yeah, the pepper is definitely aggressive since it’s a combo of Alfredo and cacio e pepe, but you can adapt it however you like to your taste. And I think I accidentally cut the cheese part–oops! It’s like the most important thing. I added it back in, but you did it exactly right. Thanks for writing.
Val
I almost wish I didn’t make this because it is so unhealthy and now I have to make it all the time. OMG this is good.
Unpeeled
Haha!! Sorry(?). Glad you loved it.
Nicolas Franzetti
This dish was delicious. So much good stuff on here always. how do you do it?
Matt R.
This dish was simply amazing. I am a longtime fan of cacio e pepe, but this dish really takes it to the next level. I also enjoyed reading about the history of the dishes.
Evelynn
The flavor and creamy texture on this was outstanding, and I will make this again, though hopefully not too soon since it IS rich! I remember eating at Elaine’s in New York City when my husband and I would visit for nearby doctor’s appointments and we enjoyed this dish there many times. Now we can enjoy this!.
M.K.F.
Wonderful. There weren’t any leftovers. Scraped the plates 🙂
Anna Paul
THIS IS AAAAMMMAAAZZZZING!!! I don’t even care that it is not healthy. WORTH IT!