Several years ago we took the kids to Disney World in Florida. Friends suggested that if possible, make reservations for dinner at “Alfredo’s” restaurant in Italy on the Epcot walk of nations. No problem. 2 children, 2 adults, dinner at six.
I wasn’t sure what to expect, but realized pretty soon after arriving that the name of the restaurant and the famous fettuccine dish had a long history, so we all had Fettuccine Alfredo as the pasta appetizer.
It was probably the best thing I ever ate up to that point.
Ever since then, I have tried every Fettuccine Alfredo recipe that I found trying to duplicate it. The recipe below is the closest thing I have come to the Alfredo served there.
I must admit, this is not a “quick and easy” recipe that we tend to post here at The Net Gourmet. If you want the best Alfredo you’ve ever eaten, then you must have a pasta maker to make it, use butter and heavy cream and splurge on the Parmesan. The recipe for the pasta is below, but I typically use the packaged fresh fettuccini instead of making my own.
Serves 4 as a main course, 6 as a side.
Ingredients:
| For the noodles: 3 Cups Semolina (pasta) flour 1 Teaspoon salt 3 Eggs 1/4 Cup heavy cream | For the Alfredo: 1 Stick of butter 3/4 Cup heavy cream 1 Cup good quality graded Parmesan cheese More Parmesan for the table. |
Directions:
In a food processor, add the flour, salt and 3 eggs. Turn it on and through the chute drizzle the heavy cream until the pasta gets to the consistency where you can use it in the pasta maker. You may not need all the cream. This depends on the size of the eggs you used and the humidity that particular day.
Turn out of the food processor onto a floured work area and knead the dough for a few minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 1/2 hour.
Roll the dough in a pasta maker until you get flat sheets, usually to #6 thickness. Then cut with the fettuccine cutter.
Cook pasta in LOTS of water for 1-2 minutes (or follow instructions on the package). Drain. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
Melt butter in a sauté pan. Add pasta to butter and toss to coat all the noodles. Add 1/2 cup of the heavy cream and toss in pan. After heated through, remove from heat and add the cup of Parmesan cheese. Toss until well mixed.
At this point, you may need to add the rest of the cream and/or some of the reserved pasta water so the cheese has enough moisture to create a creamy sauce.
Important: Once you add the Parmesan cheese, be careful not to use too much heat. The cheese may bind and ruin the dish. Only use very low if any heat at all.
Top with Parmesan cheese at the table. Serves 4 main as a main course, 6 as a side.
“Fettuccine Alfredo” is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
