Authentic 4-Ingredient Fettuccine Alfredo (NO CREAM!)

5 from 111 votes

Authentic 4-Ingredient Fettuccine Alfredo (NO CREAM!)

This authentic Fettuccine Alfredo is one of my favorite comfort foods! You only need a few ingredients and technique to make this ultra creamy dish at home in 20 minutes or less!

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: Chris Joe

Equipment

Infrared Thermometer

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

US Customary - Metric

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

Pasta - You can use dried or fresh pasta. For dried pasta, I like Dececco or Seggiano.

Butter - Use unsalted butter. My favorite is Kerrygold, which I buy in bulk from Costco. I like to freeze what I won't need immediately - butter lasts in the freezer for 5 months.

Do not use pre-grated cheese - they contain preservatives and additives that keep the shreds from clumping. This will make your sauce clumpy and grainy. I used 24 month aged parmesan cheese from Costco and grate it on the finest side of the box grater which will allow the cheese to emulsify more easily into the sauce. Use the best quality cheese you can find - it will make a difference in the dish.

My #1 tip when using the pasta water to make the cream sauce is DO NOT ADD IT DIRECTLY FROM THE POT. The water is going to be too hot, and the higher temperature of the water will melt the cheese too fast and create a clumpy sauce! Reserve your pasta water in a separate measuring cup and aim to have it at 150-160F or about 70C before adding more to the sauce (1-2 minutes of resting). I like to use this infrared thermometer to easily measure the temperature of the water.

Nutrition