Lighter Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe

Nys Aqyla    9/15/2022    Creamy Pastas , Eggs , Italian , Parmesan , Pastas   

The luxurious Alfredo Sauce Spaghetti won't let you down.

 why does it work?

• By cooking pasta in a smaller amount of water, we create a starchy pasta water that thickens and emulsifies the sauce.
• We eliminated most of the cream in this recipe, instead using the thickening power of an egg and a bit of cornstarch to create a creamy sauce with a lighter, more vibrant flavor.
• Our sauces are cooked directly in the same pan as the fettuccine, making cleaning easy.
  

I've always thought that Fettuccine Alfredo was really as Italian as an Elio frozen pizza; Probably something concocted by the Olive Garden chefs in their Tuscan cooking academy. But it turns out the dish has a long history in Rome. Since the 15th century, the Romans have eaten pasta with a light and simple cheese sauce, prepared directly in the pot along with the pasta. Fettuccine alla romana, made by mixing fresh fettuccine with parmesan cheese, is Alfredo's most direct ancestor. Spaghetti cacio e pepe - a Roman late-night dish made by mixing spaghetti with pecorino romano, black pepper and a little pasta water - is a very close cousin.

According to a 1981 New York Times article about the dish, the modern version — what we know in the United States as Fettuccine Alfredo — was invented by Alfredo di Lelio (yes, Alfredo was a real man). !), the first to put it on the menu. at his Trattoria Alfredo circa 1914. His version of fettuccine alla romana added butter to the mix, though not until it reached the New World (and possibly the kitchens of major corporate chains). ), it is commonly known as fettuccine Alfredo. Its buttery version is still a much more popular dish in the United States than it is in Italy, although you'll still find it on travel menus near Rome's main attractions.

Today, most Fettuccine Alfredo plates feature satisfying servings, topped with a thick, creamy and starched sauce, flavored with imitation Parmesan cheese in dusty flavored water (may be accompanied by a side dish). on one side is endless bread). ). Even home-made recipes are made with an incredible amount of butter and cream – a cup full of cream and a stick of butter for a pound of pasta is not uncommon.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a health freak or a calorie counter. But let's face it: the feeling you get after eating a bowl of rich Alfredo Cheese Fettuccine isn't the best. Wouldn't it be great to have a quick and easy version that tastes as good as those ice cream versions, but has a cleaner taste and doesn't leave you hooked?

The idea was to create a dish that bridges the gap between fettuccine alla romana, with a light cheese and pasta sauce, and fettuccine Alfredo a la Little Italy, with a creamy mouthfeel. After swimming in cheese sauce for a weekend, I found a recipe that really works (and doesn't take less than 20 minutes!). Here's how to do it.

Cheese

 First, you want to use authentic, honest Parmigiano Reggiano for this dish. The flavor of the dish comes from the cheese, so you'll shoot yourself in the foot if you pick up that green box. Pre-grounds from a good cheese shop or supermarket are fine, as long as the Parmigiano Reggiano is genuine. (Search for these words specifically, not just generic "parmesan.")

 

I've tried combining cheese in a number of ways, including grated and shredded, but the best way is to grate it on the crumb side of a canister. You know, the side has those little holes that look like they were drilled with a little screwdriver? Knuckle rasp side? Yes, that one.

I decided to eat 5 ounces of cheese for every pound of pasta.

Sauce

Today, today's interpretations of Alfredo sauce are created by combining melted butter with heavy cream and cheese, then mixing it all with pasta. The question is, how to achieve such thick and rich texture without a lot of milk fat? I tried different methods, including making the pancakes with milk instead of cream (it takes too much effort for an easy dish), using half and half instead of cream (it makes a dish with weaker flavor without actually having a much lighter taste) and uses a lot of other dairy products (creme fraiche is made for a great side dish - not too different from a one-pot tuna noodle casserole that I did - but to me it's not like Alfredo).

 

 Finally, I took a page from the standard cacio e pepe recipe: using plenty of starchy pasta water to help emulsify and thicken a sauce that's mostly melted cheese. Using about a cup and a half of pasta water, I was able to make a rich and creamy sauce with only about two tablespoons of cream and butter (and, okay, I also added a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil). on flavor enhancement). To help the noodles thicken and stick better, I also beat an egg. It's not a traditional ingredient at all, but it makes a huge difference in the texture of the sauce, without altering its flavor too much.

I find that to get enough starch in the water, I have to cook my pasta in a much smaller amount of water than is usually recommended for pasta - about two liters for a pound of pasta - but, as it turns out, , pasta comes out perfectly fine in a smaller amount of water, and the bonus is the starchy pasta water. 

 

However, a little coverage doesn't hurt.

 

 A little bit of whole wheat flour ensures that your sauce thickens properly, even if your pasta water doesn't thin out. (That's fine, since the amount of leftover starch that pasta puts in the pot can vary from brand to brand.)

The best part about this sauce is that it requires no pre-cooking. You just need to mix the ingredients together and set them aside while you cook the noodles.

The final question that needs to be answered about sauces is what flavorings are added. Black pepper - and a ton of it - is unquestionable. I can't imagine a cheese pasta dish without black pepper, be it cacio e pepe, carbonara or Alfredo. And forget the whole "do you want some fresh pepper in it?" thing with extra long restaurant pepper mill: You want the pepper to be incorporated into your sauce.

And garlic? It wasn't part of the original recipe, but when I questioned the Twittersphere, the overwhelming answer was yes to the garlic flavor. Out of an interest in keeping the recipe simple, I found that when I added the garlic directly to the butter, then toss it into the cooked pasta before adding the sauce, the residual heat from the pasta heated up enough of the garlic. to remove it. rough. bite, while bringing more flavor to the bowl.

 

 

 Put together

 Finally, we come to the real pasta. Fettuccine Alfredo must be made with fresh fettuccine, which is how I like them better, although you can use dry pasta if you prefer.

It's important to make sure the noodles don't overcook when you boil them, as they will continue to cook a bit after meeting the hot sauce. For fresh noodles, soaking in water for about 45 seconds is enough.

 

 

For dry noodles, you want to go a minute or two less than the directions on the package.
 

Here, everything is ready. Drain noodles by removing tongs with tongs or better yet, pour into colander placed in a large bowl. This way, the starchy juice of the noodles is preserved.

 

 

Set aside a few cups of the noodle broth (to drain the rest), transfer the noodles to a bowl with the butter and garlic, then stir until the butter is melted. This will keep the noodles from sticking together when you're done with the sauce.

 

Working quickly, put some hot pasta water in a bowl with the sauce mixture.

 

 

It should look like soup - the starches don't fully hydrate and thicken until they're heated. Pour this mixture into the empty noodle pot and cook on the stove, stirring constantly until thickened and thick. It will just take some time.

 

Once done, add the pasta to the sauce and gently become coats.

 

 

Like me, if you take too long doing stupid things like taking pictures, the sauce will be too thick and you will have to dilute it with some pasta water.

Now for the most important part of fettuccine Alfredo: serve it immediately and serve it hot, preferably in a preheated bowl. Cheese sauce doesn't get better when eaten.
I like to top it off with chopped chives, add cheese, a bit of lemon zest, and olive oil. (I also sometimes mix that lemon zest into the sauce, suggestion.)
Oh, and in case you were wondering, this noodle party is unfortunately BYOB. *

Quick and Easy Fettuccine Alfredo

Formula Events

• Activity: 20 minutes
• Total: 30 minutes
• Servings: 4 servings

Element

• 5 ounces (140 g) grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus more for sprinkling
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) thick cream
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon (3g) cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest (optional)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound (450 g) fresh fettuccine or 12 ounces (340 g) dried fettuccine
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 1 medium clove)
• 2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter
• chopped fresh parsley or chives

Direction

Place cheese, cream, eggs, cornstarch, olive oil, and lemon zest (if using) in a large bowl. Season lightly with salt and generously with black pepper and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring often so it doesn't stick, until cooked through but still very firm (not quite pliable), about 45 seconds for fresh pasta or 1 to 2 minutes less than package directions for dry pasta. Drain pasta in colander placed over a large bowl. Transfer 2 cups (480 ml) of cooking water to a liquid measuring cup and discard the remainder. Transfer pasta to an empty bowl. Add garlic and butter and mix well.

Whisking constantly, slowly add 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water to the bowl with the cheese mixture. Transfer the cheese mixture to the now empty pasta pot, scraping the bottom to make sure you get it all in. Cook over medium to high heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula until mixture boils and thickens, about 45 seconds. Season the sauce to taste, adding salt and pepper if desired. Transfer pasta to sauce mixture and transfer to coat. Just before serving, stir in more pasta water to thin the sauce if needed. Serve immediately, sprinkle with chopped herbs, black pepper and cheese, and drizzle with olive oil.