Garlic Cream Sauce (Alfredo)
This classic white skillet builder coats every strand of pasta in a thick, uniform blanket of dairy and sharp, aged cheese. Gentle heat allows the pungent bulbs to soften into the fat, mellowing their sharpness into a smooth, deeply savory baseline. It provides an immediate, back-to-basics satisfaction that elevates any simple weeknight carbohydrate.
Ingredients
For Fettuccine Alfredo
Instructions
-
Melt 1.5 Tbsp of butter in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low
heat. Add 2 tsp of minced garlic. Sweat for 1 to 2 minutes until translucent. Do not let it
color or brown. -
Add cream, half & half, salt and pepper. Bring to a bare simmer. Lower heat to a bare simmer (bubbles barely showing and reduce gently for 20 minutes (about 10%), stirring frequently, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.
-
Pull the pan completely off the heat source. Whisk in 0.75 cups of finely grated Parmesan cheese in small increments until completely melted and smooth.
-
Use immediately over cooked pasta. If you want to refrigerate, pour the hot sauce immediately into a shallow metal container. Place the container directly into a prepared ice water bath. Stir continuously for 3 minutes until the temperature drops below 40ยฐF (4ยฐC) before sealing and refrigerating.
To Make Fettuccine Alfredo
-
Put the sauce (one 4 oz ladle per 1/4 lb of pasta) in a pan and toss with cooked fettuccine pasta. If from reheat, heat slowly over low setting so cheese doesn't burn
-
Garnish with Parmigiano Reggiano to your liking and serve immediately
Note
**It's best to use a heavier gauge pan to avoid scalding the cream
**Makes enough sauce for 1# of pasta cooked
