Quick And Easy Fettuccine Alfredo is a delicious, vegetarian dish that makes a perfect weeknight dinner. Pair it with a crispy green salad and garlic bread for a comforting meal that your family will love.
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If you have 20 minutes, you can whip up a restaurant-quality fettuccine alfredo with ingredients that you probably already have on hand. The homemade alfredo sauce is so delicious, you’ll never buy that jarred stuff again. This pasta recipe is great on Meatless Monday or anytime you’re craving comfort food. It’s creamy and cheesy and very craveable.
Ingredients Needed
- Box of fettuccine pasta
- Butter – I used salted butter, but if you have unsalted butter, adjust the salt to taste.
- Garlic
- Heavy cream – also called heavy whipping cream or whipping cream
- Salt and pepper
- Parmesan Reggiano cheese – please use a quality cheese, not the stuff in the plastic shaker jar that is shelf stable. Use a cheese that needs to be refrigerated, preferably one that you grate yourself.
- Italian parsley as a garnish
Steps To Make This Recipe
- Boil water and cook the pasta as directed on the box of pasta.
- Make the sauce by sauteing garlic in butter.
- Pour in the heavy cream and half of the grated cheese and cook for a minute or two.
- Drain the cooked pasta and save a cup of the cooking liquid.
- Thin the alfredo sauce with a little of the pasta water.
- Toss the cooked noodles in the sauce.
- Top with even more grated cheese and garnish with parsley.
Variations
- Add protein to the meal by topping the fettuccine alfredo with grilled or baked chicken breasts or grilled shrimp.
- Up the nutritional content by adding steamed broccoli, asparagus, or sauteed spinach.
- You can lighten up the sauce by swapping out the heavy cream with low-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream. You can also use 2% milk, but will have to thicken the sauce with a slurry of 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed into a couple tablespoons of milk.
- Add chopped herbs like chives, thyme, rosemary, or oregano.
If you liked this pasta recipe, here are a few more suggestions to try:
- Cavatelli With Sausage And Broccoli Rabe
- Spaghettios And Meatballs
- Shrimp Fra Diavolo
- Ricotta Gnocchi In Easy Pomodoro Sauce
- Pumpkin Ravioli In Sage Brown Butter Sauce
- Taco Mac And Cheese
- Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
- Pasta Carbonara
Quick And Easy Fettuccine Alfredo
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
Description
Quick And Easy Fettuccine Alfredo is a delicious, vegetarian dish that makes a perfect weeknight dinner. Pair it with a crispy green salad and garlic bread for a comforting meal that your family will love.
Ingredients
1 pound fettuccine pasta
1 stick butter (8 tablespoons)
4 garlic cloves, very finely minced
1 ¾ cups heavy cream
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
½ teaspoon freshly grated black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped (optional)
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a full rolling boil. Add enough salt that the water tastes like the sea.
Once the water comes back up to a full boil, add the pasta and cook according to the package directions.
Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Don’t allow the garlic to brown.
Whisk in the heavy cream and allow it to reduce, stirring often, for 5-8 minutes.
Add half of the cheese to the cream and whisk until the cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth.
Ladle out about a cup of the pasta cooking water. Set aside.
Pour in ¼ cup of the pasta water into the cream sauce. Whisk until smooth. If the sauce is still too thick, add a bit more water until the desired consistency is achieved.
When the pasta is al dente, drain it well and shake off the excess water.
Add the pasta to the cream sauce in the skillet.
Use tongs to turn the pasta in the sauce until each strand of pasta is coated in sauce. Take care not to break up the pasta.
Sprinkle the remaining half of the cheese over the top and continue to fold the pasta and sauce together.
Garnish the alfredo with the chopped parsley.
Serve hot.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Dish - Pasta
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Quick and easy fettuccine alfredo, alfredo fettuccine, pasta recipes, meatless mondays, quick and easy dinners, homemade alfredo sauce
