This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Fettuccine Alfredo is simple, delicious, and one of my favorite comfort foods! To make authentic Fettuccine Alfredo, you only need 4 ingredients (spoiler: cream is NOT one of them) and just a little bit of technique. Whip this together in 20 minutes and your life will be changed forever!
Watch the Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe Video Below!
Table of Contents
- Watch the Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe Video Below!
- What ingredients do I need to make an authentic Fettuccine Alfredo?
- How To Make the Alfredo Sauce (Hint: it’s the pasta water)
- Grating Cheese Finely Matters!
- Fettucine Alfredo: Recipe Instructions
- My #1 Tip for Pasta Water
- Authentic 4-Ingredient Fettuccine Alfredo (NO CREAM!) Recipe
What ingredients do I need to make an authentic Fettuccine Alfredo?
I always suggest using the highest quality ingredients you can find for simple dishes like Fettuccine Alfredo. Because this recipe only requires 4 ingredients, each one will play a crucial part in the dish — you will literally be able to taste each ingredient!
- Fettuccine pasta: You can use either dry or fresh fettuccine. I used dry pasta because that is what I had in my pantry. I recommend bronze-cut pasta because the Alfredo sauce will cling better. Currently, I’m loving Dececco or Seggiano for dry pasta (both can be found at Whole Foods).
- Butter: My favorite butter in the world is Kerrygold unsalted butter. The quality is phenomenal! I like to buy mine from Costco and freeze what I won’t need (butter lasts in the freezer for 5 months).
- Aged parmesan cheese: You will need to use freshly grated Parmesan Cheese for this recipe. None of that green can stuff! Parmesan Cheese will create the Alfredo sauce with the butter, so please use the highest quality Parmesan you can find – I personally like using the 24 month aged Parmesan from Costco (can you tell I love Costco?) Please do NOT use pre-grated cheese, as pre-grated cheese contains preservatives to keep the cheese from clumping or melting together (which is the opposite of what we want here, which is a beautiful melting down of the cheese to make a creamy sauce).
Find the entire ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below!
Pair it with Roasted Brussels Sprouts for a delicious meal!
How To Make the Alfredo Sauce (Hint: it’s the pasta water)
With only 4 ingredients in this Fettuccine Alfredo recipe, you might be wondering “how do you make such a creamy sauce?” The secret is in the pasta water! Make sure to salt the water as you cook your pasta (I like to say “as salty as the ocean”) – what will be left after the pasta is done is a salty, starchy water that will be your secret ingredient for the best Alfredo sauce! This water, which Bon Appetit calls “LIQUID GOLD”, is emulsified with fat (in this recipe: high quality butter and high quality cheese) to make an incredibly smooth, creamy delicious sauce WITH NO CREAM!
Grating Cheese Finely Matters!
Using the correct side of a box grater matters when making Fettucine Alfredo. Your box grater will have a side that looks like the side in the photo below which has short rough edges. This side of the grater will produce a snow-like texture when the cheese is grated, which allows the cheese to emulsify easier due to its higher surface area and smaller size.
Fettucine Alfredo: Recipe Instructions
1. Melt butter in a large pan
In a large pan, melt butter over medium heat until fully melted, then immediately turn off the heat.
2. Cook the Fettuccine to al dente
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook your fettuccine to al dente or until desired doneness.
3. Reserve the Pasta Water
1-2 minutes before the pasta is done, reserve a cup of pasta water and set aside to cool. Ideally, you want the temperature of this water to be around 150-160F or 70C (use a thermometer for better accuracy).
KEY TIP
My #1 Tip for Pasta Water
DO NOT ADD THE PASTA WATER DIRECTLY FROM THE POT!
The pasta water will definitely be too hot (because you were just boiling it to cook the pasta) for the sauce. The high temperature of the water will melt the cheese too quickly, which will result in a clumpy sauce. Instead of adding it directly from the pot, reserve your water in a separate bowl or measuring cup. Wait for it to drop in temperature (you want it to be at 150 – 160F or 70C) before adding it to the sauce. I like to use this infrared thermometer to easily measure the temperature of the water. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can let the water cool (not in the pot but in a separate bowl or measuring cup) for 1-2 minutes.
4. Emulsify the Parmesan Cheese and Pasta Water
Once the pasta is cooked to your desired doneness, immediately transfer to the butter and add 1/3 cup pasta water and your cheese. Stir vigorously (still off the heat), adding pasta water as needed, until a creamy sauce is achieved. Adjust seasoning for salt to your preference.
Serve immediately in a warm bowl with additional parmesan and optional freshly cracked black pepper and enjoy!
If you liked this Fettuccine Alfredo recipe, check out some of the most popular pasta recipes on the blog! Please consider giving a rating and commenting down below what you thought of the recipe! It really helps out the blog!
Authentic 4-Ingredient Fettuccine Alfredo (NO CREAM!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 oz fettuccine noodles
- 3 oz aged parmesan cheese, finely grated
- kosher salt, for the pasta water
- 5 tbsp butter
- 1 cup pasta water, reserved after cooking the noodles
Instructions
- In a large pan, melt butter over medium heat until fully melted, then immediately turn off the heat.
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook your fettuccine to al dente or until desired doneness.
- 1-2 minutes before the pasta is done, reserve a cup of pasta water and set aside to cool. Ideally, you want the temperature of this water to be around 150-160F or 70C (use a thermometer for better accuracy).
- Once the pasta is cooked to your desired doneness, immediately transfer to the butter and add 1/3 cup pasta water and your cheese. Stir vigorously (still off the heat), adding pasta water as needed, until a creamy sauce is achieved. Adjust seasoning for salt to your preference.
- Serve immediately in a warm bowl with additional parmesan and optional freshly cracked black pepper and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Excellent recipe and really good suggestions at the end about not using the hot pasta water right away. I made this tonight and substituted some olive oil to cut back on the butter a bit. I also added a little garlic to give it some pop. It all worked out exceedingly well. I’ll make this again!
Thanks John! I’m so glad you loved it!
Yum!! I’m a huge Alfredo fan so I had to try this simple version. The high quality ingredients make a difference. I’ll have to try caccio e pepe & carbonara soon! Thanks!
I hope you enjoy them Hilary! Please keep me posted on how they turn out!
I’ve been looking for a simple but authentic recipe and this was absolutely incredible. Thank you for sharing this deliciousness! So good!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Molly! Thank you!