Pasta Alfredo

A creamy pasta classic

Dating back to 1914, the humble fettuccine all’Alfredo’s history reads like a love story. When Italian restaurateur Alfredo Di Lelio’s wife gave birth to their second child, she struggled to regain her appetite. Determined to help her, Alfredo tried everything and eventually created a simple dish of fettuccine, swirled in a pan with butter and parmigiano. Delighted by his invention, she encouraged Alfredo to add the dish to his restaurant’s menu and the rest, as they say, is history.

How to cook an elegant meal in no time

Transforming this dish into an elegant meal is all in the presentation. For long pasta cuts, like fettuccine in this recipe, grab a portion of pasta with a fork and, using a soup ladle, twirl the pasta into a sophisticated mountain of tangled strands. Gently place it in the middle of the plate or bowl, sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and parsley, add a few shavings of cheese and serve.

Delicious, yet affordable

Italian cuisine is celebrated for its near mystifying ability to create big, bold flavours from the simplest of ingredients and this recipe is no different. A strong cheese, like the traditional parmigiano, or a less-traditional Svecia or Gruyere, is the star of this show and you can choose an expensive or more cost-effective option depending on your budget. The rest of the ingredients are very likely already in your kitchen, making this a quick and easy dish to whip up any day of the week.

How to level up your pasta Alfredo

An Alfredo sauce is the perfect base for many other ingredients, and you can completely transform the dish into a whole new experience by adding combinations like mushrooms and chicken, salmon and dill, or a medley of summer vegetables like zucchini, asparagus, and sweetcorn.