Alfredo Pasta
March 19, 2019
This month we bring you a recipe that will make your Anglo-American guests feel right at home. It is one of the most famous Italian dishes in the world and one that we Italians probably never hear about, except when traveling abroad: pasta Alfredo.
This Italian dish has a long history: in 1914, Alfredo di Lelio, owner of a restaurant that still exists today in Via della Scrofa in Rome, first served his wife, who was weakened by the rigors of pregnancy and childbirth, a dish of egg pasta topped with plenty of butter and Parmesan cheese. The dish was then added to the restaurant’s menu and was a huge success, especially among Americans visiting Rome, such as Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, who donated two gold cutlery items, a spoon and a fork, to the restaurant, with a dedication to Alfredo, “the king of noodles.”
The recipe we present today is not the original one, but one of the most common interpretations of the dish in the British world. You will appreciate that, despite the simplicity of the ingredients, it is a tasty and very satisfying first course.
Ingredients for 5 people
- Pasta: 450 g mezze penne rigate
- Fresh cream: 250 ml
- Butter: 100 g
- Parsley: one bunch
- Pepper: half a teaspoon
- Salt: one level teaspoon
- Parmesan cheese: 50 g
Preparation
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta. Meanwhile, take a large saucepan (we used a wok) and add the butter pieces and cream. Cook over low heat until the mixture is smooth, making sure it never boils, and stir occasionally.
- Finely chop a sprig of parsley.
- Add the parsley, pepper, salt, and Parmesan cheese to the butter and cream.
- Toss the pasta in the large pan and serve hot.
Enjoy!