Fettuccine Alfredo

Oh, alfredo. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

Fettuccine Alfredo and I go way back. We're like best friends...we've been through so much together and I always know it's got my back. (Also, I know it's adding pounds to my backside, so that's an ongoing issue.)

The first meal I ever made for Brian was fettuccine alfredo. It's his favorite meal, so I knew I had a good chance of impressing him. I had the water boiling for the pasta, had my sauce going, Brian comes over and then disaster struck. I had bought two packages of fresh fettuccine because Giada said that the sauce sticks better to fresh pasta. When I went to open the packages, the pasta was molded. EWW. Poor Brian had to rush to the grocery store and buy more pasta for me because I had a sauce to tend to. Thankfully the closest grocery store still carried fresh fettuccine back then because now they do not.

It's still one of our favorite dishes, as it always will be, and the last time I made it, this happened. It's an incident that still makes me shudder.

Also, it's one of lists on my Bucket List o' Recipes. It's a very yummy recipe (it's alfredo sauce, of course it's yummy) and it's actually a "light" recipe. As light as alfredo can be at least. :)

Fettuccine Alfredo
Source: Cooks Illustrated Magazine, Spring 2008, Page 35

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup half-and-half
1 garlic clove, peeled and lightly crushed
Table salt and ground black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 (9-ounce) package fresh fettuccine

Directions:
Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large pot. Cook pasta according to package directions, 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve one cup pasta water, then drain.

Heat butter over medium heat in large saucepan until foaming. Whisk in flour until mixture is smooth and golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in milk, half-and-half, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Discard garlic, stir in Parmesan and remove sauce from heat.

Once pasta is cooked, return sauce to low heat, add 1/3 cup pasta water and cooked pasta and toss until evenly coated. Cook until sauce has thickened slightly, about 1 minute. Add more pasta water as needed to thin sauce to proper consistency; adjust seasonings. Serve immediately.

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