This is probably the easiest pasta dish to make. The sauce requires only three ingredients to make: butter, grated parmesan, and the salted water you used to cooked the pasta. An Alfredo sauce should not be a thick cheese gravy. Some recipes (and restaurants) serve what is actually more of a Mornay sauce over the pasta. This is not necessary, and honestly, the lighter sauce makes for a better texture and better flavored pasta in my opinion.
Ingredients
1 lb dried fettuccine
2 tbsp salt
1¼ cup grated parmesan
6 tbsp butter
2 tbsp salt
1¼ cup grated parmesan
6 tbsp butter
2-3 tbsp parsley, chopped
Fill a medium sized stock pot about halfway with water, and bring it to a rapid simmer over medium or medium-high heat. Add the two tablespoons of salt and stir to dissolve into the water. Adjust the temperature to maintain a rapid simmer and add the dried fettuccine. Cook the pasta to al dente, roughly 10-12 minutes.
As the pasta is finishing, use a ladle to reserve at least 1 ¼ cups of the pasta water, placing it into a bowl or measuring cup. Then drain the finished pasta through a colander.
Return the stock pot to the burner on very low heat. Add 3 tbsp of the butter in 1 tbsp pieces. Once it melts, add ½ cup of the pasta water and stir until the butter and water blends into a sauce.
Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss it to fully coat the pasta noodles. Add ½ cup of thd parmesan cheese to the pasta and stir it through until it melts into the pasta.
Add the remaining 3 tbsp of butter into the pasta and stir to help it melt. Then add another ½ cup of pasta water followed by another ½ cup of the parmesan cheese. Stir and toss the pasta well to blend it all together. A light cheese sauce will begin to glaze the pasta.
Finally add the remaining ¼ cup of cheese and ¼ cup of pasta water. Stir again, and the Alfredo will come together. The fettuccine will be glazed in a thin white cheese sauce.
At this point, you are ready to serve. Serve a portion of the pasta in a pasta bowl and garnish with an little of the chopped parsley. Enjoy!