Fettuccine Alfredo
Fettuccine all'Alfredo
The Roman original: fresh egg fettuccine, a lot of butter and a lot of Parmigiano, tossed into a sauce with pasta water. No cream.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Fettuccine all'Alfredo.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
The first fettuccine Alfredo had three ingredients: fresh egg fettuccine, good butter and young Parmigiano Reggiano. There was no cream, no garlic, no chicken and no parsley. The sauce happens in the bowl. Soft butter melts against hot pasta, finely grated cheese goes in a handful at a time, and a spoon of starchy cooking water turns the lot into a pale, clinging emulsion. Fresh pasta matters because it cooks in two minutes and carries more starch to the party. Toss fast and serve immediately; it tightens as it cools. If it looks greasy, add water and keep tossing. If it clumps, the bowl was too hot or the cheese too coarse.
What you'll need
4 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Fettuccine, fresh egg fettuccine400 g
- Butter, the best you can find, soft100 g
- Parmigiano Reggiano, Parmigiano Reggiano, very finely grated100 g
- Salt, for the water4.9 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Put the soft butter in a wide warm bowl or pan off the heat. Boil the fettuccine in salted water for 2–3 minutes.
5 min
Step 2
Lift the pasta straight into the butter with a little of its water clinging. Add a ladle of cooking water and toss until the butter melts into it.
1 min
Step 3
Add the cheese a handful at a time, tossing hard and adding splashes of water, until the sauce is creamy and clings. Serve at once.
2 min
Tip: If it turns oily, more water and more motion.
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 367 kcal
- Protein
- 12.7 g
- Carbs
- 11.1 g
- Fat
- 30.5 g
- Saturated fat
- 18.3 g
- Fibre
- 1.5 g
- Sugar
- 2.3 g
- Sodium
- 910 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Wheat
- Eggs
- Milk
- Vegetarian
Vegetarian only with a vegetarian Parmigiano Reggiano: the traditional cheese is made with animal rennet.
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.
Substitutions
Fresh fettuccine → Dried egg fettuccine
Works. Cook it a minute short and save more water.
Tips
- Grate the cheese like dust or it will clump.
- Warm the plates. This sauce sets fast.
History & culture
In Rome this is fettuccine al burro, what a mother makes for a child who is unwell. Alfredo's restaurant made a show of it, mixing tableside with a golden fork and spoon. Outside Rome most Italians have never ordered fettuccine Alfredo, and the cream-thickened plate on American menus is a different dish wearing the name.
Alfredo di Lelio created it in Rome in the 1900s, reportedly to tempt his wife to eat after the birth of their son, by tripling the butter in plain fettuccine al burro. Hollywood actors Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks ate it on their 1920 honeymoon and carried it home. In America, where butter and cheese behaved differently, cooks added cream to hold the sauce together, and that version travelled the world.
Traditional — Butter, Parmigiano and fresh fettuccine only. No cream.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Fettuccine Alfredo take?
15 min all in — 5 min prep, 10 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 plates. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Eggs, Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian.
6 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Saucepan, Mixing bowl.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 tsp (for the water).
What can I use instead?
Fresh fettuccine → Dried egg fettuccine. Works. Cook it a minute short and save more water.
Any tips from this recipe?
Grate the cheese like dust or it will clump. Warm the plates. This sauce sets fast.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
Similar dishes
Cacio e pepe
Pecorino, pepper and pasta water — a Roman emulsion that looks like nothing and fails if you rush it.
Medium
Carbonara
Roman pasta of guanciale, egg, pecorino and pepper — no cream, no peas, no debate in this house except the usual one.
Medium
Tagliatelle al ragù
Tagliatelle al ragù alla bolognese
Bologna's own ragù: beef and pancetta slow-cooked with white wine, milk and a little tomato, served on fresh egg tagliatelle. Never spaghetti.
Medium