In spite of our habits that suggest otherwise, a romantic dinner has very little to do with going to a fancy restaurant. Rather it is the scenery itself and the care put into the preparation of the meal that melts the heart. For me, nothing is better than being in the candlelit woods under the stars with a plate of the original version of fresh-prepared Fettucine Alfredo. Oh, and maybe a little salad. And yes, darling – I’ll have a glass as well.
What is amazing (particularly for camping) is that this dish requires only four ingredients – our soggy American versions actually detract from its elegance. But, these ingredients must be selected carefully. We will get to that.
The history of fettucine alfredo
This recipe is well-known in Europe and was the standard at the Epcot’s long-closed but much beloved L’Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante. The Epcot restaurant was branch of Italy’s original, and one of the early reasons why Epcot stood out for its culinary distinction. The dish allegedly originated in the early 1900s, with an Italian man wanting to prepare a simple dish for his beloved pregnant wife. Its success with her led to others enjoying its rustic simplicity, followed by a new and later-renowned restaurant in Italy featuring the meal with repeat and loyal customers. (Il Vero Alfredo, date unknown). American movie stars traveling to Europe in the 1900s are said to be responsible for bringing the dish back to America. Nowadays, restaurant versions in America are overloaded with lesser cheeses disguised with the luxury of heavy creams. The original has no cream and no milk. And no garlic. Before you get worried, hang on for the Butter Ride.
With only four ingredients, it seems like this would be hard to mess up. Yet, almost all versions listed online of this recipe leave out a very essential step. This is the proper draining of the noodles, before adding the butter. The noodles should not be fully drained at all, but only barely drained, so that the little bit of water remaining will meld with the butter to provide the right consistency. In other words, we will toss the cooked noodles and water into the colander, and almost immediately bring the noodles back out again.
ingredients
1 lb. fresh fettucine noodles
1 cup unsalted butter, Plugra or Challenge brands, room temperature
1/2 cup Parmesan-Reggiano cheese in block (no substitutes!)
coarsely ground black pepper
Directions
Start by hand-grating the cheese into a very fine texture. A food processor will not suffice. Parmesan cheese is hard and only a loving hand-grating will get it into the proper texture. I like to use a vintage metal Mouli grater, but an ordinary metal grater, using the fine texture. Set the grated cheese aside.
You must use a nice, full, European or European-style butter. Many prefer Plugra for its creaminess, but I love the 100-year-old Challenge butter as well. The butter needs to be very slightly warmed, but not melted. We can do this by putting it over a hot plate, or very slightly heated it in a saucepan. No matter the method, it should only begin to melt along the edges – certainly not to the point of separation.
Plunge the noodles into salted boiling water. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until they begin to float. When they are done, toss them with their water into a colander, but for only about 10 seconds. This is the secret – we want them to still have water. Put them back into the pot, and toss in about half of the butter, then the grated cheese, and then the remaining butter and some coarsely-ground pepper. For this, it is preferable to use a tossing motion, rather than a stirring motion.
Upon serving, sprinkle with a bit more cheese. Enjoy the rich flavors of the butter and cheese. This dish becomes jealous very easily, and should thus stand on its own as the star of the meal, with a simple salad to accompany.
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