triticale - the wheat / rye guy

Fettucini Alfredissimo

In Heinlein's one swashbuckling novel, Glory Road, the Hero carries a sword inscribed with the motto Dom Vivimus, Vivamus ("While we live, let us live"). As for myself, I would prefer a fork incribed Dom Eatimus, Eatamus. It would have been perfect for consuming what the wee wifey made for our dinner l;ast night. A lot of what is sold as Alfredo sauce, and many of the recipes out there, would be more accurately described as Fred sauce, but this is the real deal and it doesn't take much effort to prepare. Metabolizing it is another story, which we leave as an exercise for the reader.

1/2 cup real butter
1 pint heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup Parmesan/Romano cheese -- freshly grated
2 heaping teaspoons minced garlic (the boughten bottled stuff)
salt (to taste)
freshly ground black pepper
1 dash cayenne pepper
1 lb. fettuccine
fresh parsley -- chopped

Prepare fettucine pasta as directed on box. Drain; melt a pat of butter on still-hot pasta or stir in several drops of olive oil to keep pasta from sticking. Stir to coat evenly.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan over low to medium heat, melt the butter. Add cream, garlic, and cayenne.

Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens.

Remove saucepan from stove and stir in cheese.

Serve over hot pasta. Sprinkle on freshly ground black pepper. (Ground Peppercorn Medley - red, green and white adds a splash of color and flavor). Garnish with parsley.

There is a brand of packaged fresh garlic upon whose packaging is the assertion that there is no substitute for fresh garlic. This is often true, but in this recipe it would require, in addition to the labor of mincing, and of sautéing in the melted butter before adding the cream, but also greater precision as to timing and temperature. I assure you the readymade stuff was perfectly effective.

Posted by triticale at December 22, 2006 05:29 PM | TrackBack