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Italian

Fettuccine Alfredo

Fettuccine is tossed with butter, heavy cream, and Parmesan until the sauce clings to every strand. It tastes rich, salty, and smooth, with black pepper on top.

Prep
10 min
Cook
18 min
Total
28 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Easy
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A bowl of fettuccine coated in a glossy white Parmesan sauce with black pepper

Why you’ll love it

  • Pasta water loosens the sauce so it clings instead of clumping.
  • Parmesan melts into warm cream, not into a boiling pot.
  • Butter is the base of the richness, not a flour roux.
  • The noodles finish in the sauce so they absorb it.

Ingredients

Servings4

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Boil the fettuccine in well-salted water until just tender. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the noodles.

  2. 2

    Melt the butter in a wide skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and stir 30 seconds.

  3. 3

    Pour in the heavy cream and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Warm it until it is hot but not boiling hard, about 250°F in the pan.

  4. 4

    Stir in the Parmesan a handful at a time until the sauce is smooth.

  5. 5

    Add the fettuccine and black pepper. Toss, adding pasta water a splash at a time, until the sauce coats the noodles.

  6. 6

    Taste and add the remaining salt if you want it. Serve immediately.

Pro tips

  • Grate the Parmesan yourself; pre-grated cheese can stay grainy in cream.
  • Keep the heat low once the cheese goes in so it does not seize.
  • If the sauce tightens, add more pasta water, not more cream.

Easy substitutions

fettuccine
linguine
heavy cream
half-and-half
Parmesan cheese
pecorino Romano, using a little less because it is saltier

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

Reheating

Reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of milk until the pasta is hot and the sauce is loose again.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
574
Protein
18 g
Carbs
58 g
Fat
30 g
Fiber
2 g

Moderate · Stovetop

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  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

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  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

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  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

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Ingredients