Fettuccine Alfredo - Video Recipe

Crazy creamy and too rich for words, this chef has a new favorite pasta dish, and it's Fettuccine Alfredo. So easy and quick to make, this is instant gratification.

Fettuccini Alfredo is from a Rome, Italy restaurant called Alfredo in 1914, and the ingredients originally were just a lot of melted butter and cooked fettuccini. That recipe has to be Americanized with the addition of cream, but less butter.

I can see why flat noodle fettuccine is used - more surface for the thick, savory sauce to cling to. I used to cook Spaghetti alla Carbonara, made with egg yolks mixed into crispy bacon, the most (for my video recipe, click here); but it's time to set it aside -- a new luscious pasta entree has taken its place.

I've had this recipe compared to Olive Garden's Fettuccine Alfredo. Well, you'll have to make it and let me know if it passes muster.

And boy is it cheap, just the way this Chintzy Chef likes it. A package of fettuccine, a small pint carton of half and half or cream, a pat of butter, and half a plastic shaker container of grated parmesan can all be had for around a buck each, and you'll get several servings, too.

This is a dish best made with whole milk, half and half, or cream. You can go easy on the butter with all this high-fat content floating around, but do use a little, the flavor is worth the calorie count.

Now, I use dried grated parmesan cheese that has probably been on the grocery shelf since the last century, not the best I know, but I look at it as "extra" dry aged! It has a grainy texture when used to sprinkle over pasta, but it actually breaks down and melts into the heating cream to thicken and flavor the sauce.

Of course, if this is a special meal for date night then go all out and use fresh shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

So for a quick, cheap, indulgent, and scrumptious entree, try out The 99 Cent Chef's minimalist masterpiece, Fettuccine Alfredo -- go ahead you deserve it.

Fettuccine Alfredo  - VIDEO

Play it here, video runs 1 minutes, 53 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients (about 2-4 servings)

• 12 to 16 ounce package of fettuccini pasta - or, any pasta type is delish covered in Alfredo sauce!
•  2 cups of half and half, or cream - if you must, it's okay to use regular or low-fat milk. If you like a lot of Alfredo Sauce, it's okay to add more cream or milk.
• 1 pat of butter - make it a big slice! Okay to use your favorite butter substitute.
• 3-4 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese - of course, you can use fresh grated. Go ahead and use as much as you want, too.
• Pepper to taste - optional. I don't add salt, as I find parmesan cheese is salty enough.

Directions
Start cooking pasta according to package directions - I usually shave off a minute or two for al dente (taste for the amount of chewiness). Best to get water boiling then add pasta. Carefully stir for the first minute to separate strands of fettuccini. I don't add salt to the water, as the parmesan cheese has plenty of salt for my taste.

While pasta water heats up, in a large pan add milk or cream over medium heat. Bring cream to a low simmer.

Finally, add grated parmesan and butter. Use a large fork or whisk to smooth out the Alfredo Sauce.

Low simmer for about 5 minutes. This will reduce and thicken the cream sauce (especially when the pasta is added.) You want to scrape along the edges of the pan too, as the cream may stick to the pan and get a little gummy.

The pasta should be ready about now (if it finishes early then cool to stop cooking and set aside.) Drain the pasta (I usually just lift it out of the boiling water,) and mix it into the heated Alfredo Sauce. Sprinkle with pepper if you like, and serve hot and immediately!

Hindsight
This recipe makes a lot of Fettuccini Alfredo, enough for 3-4 servings. Surprisingly it reheats the next day fine. The sauce thickens, but you can drizzle on a tablespoon of regular milk to bring it back, close to normal.

For this recipe, I normally use Half and Half, but in the video, I used Whipping Cream - that's what I found on sale this time. You can increase the amount of cream or milk if you like a lot of Alfredo Sauce - the same applies to parmesan cheese.

Half and Half is equal amounts of cream and regular milk - just a lighter version of whole cream. Make your own Half and Half by mixing a half pint of Whipping Cream with a half pint of regular milk (that is, one cup each for a total of 2 cups.) 

Fettuccine Alfredo

Crazy creamy and too rich for words, this chef has a new favorite pasta dish, and that is Fettuccine Alfredo. So easy and quick to make, this is instant satisfaction. I can see why flat noodle fettucine is used - more surface for the thick savory sauce to cling to. I used to cook Spaghetti alla Carbonara, made with eggs yokes mixed into crispy bacon, the most (my video recipe - click here); but it's time to set it aside, a new luscious pasta entree has taken it's place.

I've had this recipe compared to Olive Garden's Fettuccine Alfredo. Well, you'll have to make it and let me know if it passes muster.

And boy is it cheap, just the way this chintzy chef likes it. A package of fettuccine, a small carton of Half and Half milk, a pat of butter, and a plastic shaker container of grated parmesan can all be had for around a buck each, and you'll get several servings, too.

This is a dish best made with whole milk, half and half, or cream. You can go easy on the butter with all this high fat content floating around, but do use a little, the flavor is worth the calorie count.

Now, I use dried grated parmesa cheese that has probably been on the grocery shelf since the last century, not the best I know, but I look at it as "extra" dry aged! It has a grainy texture when used to sprinkle over pasta, but it actually breaks down and melts into the heating cream and butter to thicken and  flavor the sauce.

So for a quick, cheap, indulgent, and scrumptious entree, try out The 99 Cent Chef's minimalist masterpiece, Fettuccine Alfredo -- go ahead you deserve it.

Fettuccine Alfredo  - VIDEO

Play it here, video runs 1 minutes, 53 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients (about 2-4 servings)

• 12 to 16 ounce package of fettuccini pasta - or, any pasta type is delish covered in Alfredo sauce!
•  2 cups of half and half, or cream - if you must, it's okay to use regular or low fat milk. If you like a lot of Alfredo Sauce, it's okay to add more cream or milk.
• 1 pat of butter - make it a big slice! Okay to use your favorite butter substitute.
• 3-4 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese - of course, you can use fresh grated. Go ahead and use as much as you want, too.
• Pepper to taste - optional. I don't add salt, as I find parmesan cheese is salty enough.

Directions
Start cooking pasta according to package directions - I usually shave off a minute or two for al dente (taste for amount of chewiness). Best to get water boiling then add pasta. Carefully stir for the first minute to separate strands of fettuccini. I don't add salt to the water, as the parmesan cheese has plenty of salt for my taste.

While pasta water heats up, in a large pan add milk or cream over a medium heat. Bring cream to a low simmer.

Finally add grated parmesan and butter. Use a large fork or whisk to smooth out the Alfredo Sauce.

Low simmer for about 5 minutes. This will reduce and thicken the cream sauce (especially when the pasta is added.) You want to scrape along the edges of pan too, as the cream may stick to the pan and get a little gummy.

The pasta should be ready about now (if it finishes early then cool to stop cooking and set aside.) Drain the pasta (I usually just lift it out of the boiling water,) mixing it into the heated Alfredo Sauce. Sprinkle with pepper if you like, and serve hot and immediately!

Hindsight
This recipe makes a lot of Fettuccini Alfredo, enough for 3-4 servings. Surprisingly it reheats the next day fine. The sauce thickens, but you can drizzle on a tablespoon of regular milk to bring it back, close to normal.

For this recipe I normally use Half and Half, but in the video I used Whipping Cream - that's what I found on sale this time. You can increase the amount of cream or milk if you like a lot of Alfredo Sauce - same applies to parmesan cheese.

Half and Half is equal amounts of cream and regular milk - just a lighter version of whole cream. Make your own Half and Half by mixing a half pint of Whipping Cream to a half pint of regular milk (that is, one cup each for a tota

National Spaghetti Day - Recipes & Reviews

 Twirling spaghetti strands is such a satisfying way to eat. On National Spaghetti Day you can twirl away with my many tasty recipes. Be sure to click on any recipe name to be redirected to the original recipe blog post for all the budget ingredients of yore and yummy details.

I get most of my pasta ingredients from the local Dollar Tree, protein from the bargain bin of Ralphs Supermarket, and veggies from Superior Grocers. My big splurge is a wedge of Parmesan Cheese.

You know how cheap spaghetti is to buy and quick to boil. I like mine al dente, so I shave off a minute or two of the cooking time. My recipes go from creamy to filled with fresh veggies, and tins of seafood.

Start with a basic Tomato Sauce, which is easy to do. You can buy it straight out of the can or make my Easy Tomato Sauce version.

I have a garden with a few fresh herbs like sage, but dried herbs are cheap and tasty enough for me. Other pasta sauce ingredients are the right price, too.

In the second month of my blogging way back in 2007, one of my first cheap$kate meals was Baby Clams & Spaghetti. 

They still sell small packs of Clams at my local Dollar Tree.

I kick the pasta sauce up a notch with the addition of sauteed bacon and some veggies, then finish it off with white wine and the baby clams -- all inexpensive ingredients (you only need a splash of wine - I used to get bottles for 99 cents when I created this recipe over a decade ago!)

I like Canned Sardines, and they add an intense flavor to Spaghetti. Add Canned Sardines at the end to heat through. I like the Sardines in large pieces, so I don't stir the Spaghetti too much, so the fish stays chunky. The recipe is made with Sardines in Tomato Sauce. You can use any budget canned Sardines.

Next, I have to say Pasta all Carbonara is near the top of my Spaghetti recipe list. Swirling bacon, parmesan, and creamy egg yolk through al dente spaghetti is my favorite pasta pastime. 

And my version uses cooked Bacon Bits from a small bag. You can use fresh sauteed bacon or pancetta if you like. 

If you mix the egg yolk into hot pasta the yolk thickens and cooks, maybe not enough to satisfy egg salmonella purist, but so far I have not had a problem. I gotta roll the dice sometimes for this decadent entree.

Mushroom and pasta belong together and my next Spaghetti dish has it all. 

Made with inexpensive sour cream instead of heavy cream, it turned out fine, so give my Creamy Mushrooms and Spaghetti a go.

My Nephew Zak is one hell of a cook working in kitchen joints since high school.

Pine nuts, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and angel hair pasta or thin spaghetti, and you have the makings of a heck of a pasta dish to show off. Cajun-style Tuscan Primavera Pasta is a mouthful worth seconds.

Look at the Salami I still find it for a dollar and twenty-five cents! So you know I'm gonna come up with some cheap$kate recipes, and Salami & Spaghetti is a winner.

Of course, the recipe is deliciously simple to make by heating a little onion, garlic, and salami, then mixing in the cooked spaghetti with a little pasta water.

 

Pasta with Kale and that's about it. I saute the kale with a little garlic in olive oil.

You can't get creamier than a plate of Fettuccini Alfredo. And this recipe is a ripoff of the Olive Garden. 

All it is is heavy cream, half and half, or whipping cream, anyway you pour it. It is made with fettuccini, but you know it's easy enough to replace with spaghetti.

On the Cheap$kate Dining Scale of 1 to 9, 9 being best...well, click here to read what a perfect 9 tastes like.

And I got it for a buck. You don't run across Cheap$kale Deals like this these days, so this is a flashback recipe review. Hey, if you have to pay full price, it's still a decent deal.

I used to hate Brussels Sprouts, but now I love them, even mixed into pasta.

Brussels Sprouts in Pasta holds up well when sauteed soft in butter, but you can keep it vegan using olive oil instead.

My next Flashback Deal of the Day gets a high rating, and it's Lean Cuisine again.

You can't get more basic than Spaghetti with Meat Sauce. And it's got the right stuff in it.

It's not a lot, but every bite is spot on...for a cheap frozen meal.

A most decadent Spaghetti entrée is my meaty Pasta all Genovese. It is a wild combination of French Onion Soup and hearty meat sauce. Just cook the heck out of a pile of sliced cheap onions and a budget cut of beef. 

I like beef shank as it braises beautifully. My original recipe finished with penne pasta, but you can use spaghetti, of course.