Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Traditional Fettuccine Alfredo
Butter and Parmesan give fettuccine a smooth, savory coating, with garlic warming the flavor beneath it. The sauce should cling lightly to the broad strands as you toss.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Original yield
- Serves 8
- Ingredients
- 8 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner · Main course
- Cuisine
- Italian
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Reserve enough water
Save at least three-quarters of a cup of pasta water before draining the al dente fettuccine, keeping it ready by the sauce pan.
2. Gentle garlic butter
Melt butter with garlic, salt and pepper over medium-low until fragrant before adding the first portion of starchy water.
3. Whisk cheese in gradually
Sprinkle the first half of Parmesan in a quarter-cup at a time, whisking continuously until smooth before adding more pasta water if needed.
Get to know the ingredients
Fettuccine
Cook fettuccine al dente before transferring it to the completed sauce. You can use other pasta types if preferred.
Grated Parmesan
Canned Parmesan isn't recommended because it can make the sauce grainy. Divide the grated Parmesan between the sauce and the final toss.
Finely minced garlic
Mince garlic finely before warming it in butter, so its small pieces flavor the sauce during the short fragrant cooking stage.
Let’s make it
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Original recipe: Serves 8. Original quantities shown.
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How to make it
0 of 7 steps completeMake room for Traditional Fettuccine Alfredo
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Toss and serve immediately
Add pasta, remaining Parmesan and parsley to the smooth sauce, toss together and serve immediately with extra cheese if desired.
A little more help as you go
Keep drained pasta covered
The directions suggest holding drained pasta in its empty pot under a clean damp kitchen towel while the sauce finishes.
Let butter and water thicken
Whisk the first quarter-cup of pasta water into garlic butter and let it bubble three to four minutes before adding cheese.
A few questions you might have
Can I use Parmigiano Reggiano?
Yes, you can use it instead of standard Parmesan. Avoid canned Parmesan for this smooth sauce.
Is there cream in this sauce?
The listed sauce uses butter, Parmesan and reserved pasta water with garlic and seasonings, followed by the final pasta-and-cheese toss.
Does all the cheese go into the sauce first?
Whisk half into the butter-and-water mixture, then toss in the remaining cheese with cooked pasta and minced parsley.
How do I thin the sauce?
Use more of the reserved starchy pasta water during cheese whisking if needed to keep the sauce smooth before adding fettuccine.
When is the parsley added?
It joins the cooked fettuccine and remaining Parmesan after the pan sauce is smooth, just before the final toss and serving.
Any more cooking tips?
Fettuccine is traditional here, though you can use another pasta you enjoy. Standard Parmesan works well, and Parmigiano Reggiano is another good option. Skip canned Parmesan, which can leave the sauce grainy.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: budgetbytes.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.