It appears that in the late 1920s, movie stars Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and Mary Pickford ate at Alfredo di Lelio’s restaurant while on their honeymoon in Rome. They loved the dish so much they brought the idea and recipe back to the states, and it’s been here ever since.

Here are two versions of this famous recipe, the classic and the creamy. Regardless of which version you make, serve this pasta immediately. The sauces are weak emulsions, which will break if held too long.

Version #1 (below) is a dryer, thicker version and closest to the original.

Classic Fettuccine Alfredo (no Cream) Serves 2 to 3

10 ounces Dry Fettuccine Pasta
½ Cup (1 Stick) Unsalted Butter
1 tsp Fresh Garlic, Minced
To taste Sea Salt
To Taste Freshly Ground Black Pepper
¼ Cup Romano Cheese, Freshly Grated
¼ Cup Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fettuccine, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain, BUT DO NOT RINSE.
2. In a large saucepan, melt butter and cook garlic for 2 minutes while stirring.
3. Stir in the cheeses over medium heat until melted; this will thicken the sauce.
4. Season the sauce with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5. Lift the pasta from the cooking water, and add it to the hot sauce. Add enough of the pasta so that all of the sauce is used and the pasta is thoroughly coated.
6. Serve immediately, and top with additional grated cheese and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Version #2 (below) is by far the most popular nowadays. The additional step of whisking an egg yolk into some of the cream, then adding it to the hot sauce is called a “liaison.” It adds additional creaminess and color, but care should be taken not to simmer the sauce once it’s added to avoid overcooking.

Classic Fettuccine Alfredo (with Cream) Serves 2 to 3

12 ounces Dry Fettuccine Pasta
½ Cup (1 Stick) Unsalted Butter
1 tsp Fresh Garlic, Minced
¾ Cup Heavy Cream
1 Egg Yolk
To taste Sea Salt
To Taste Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/3 cup Romano Cheese, Freshly Grated
¼ Cup Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fettuccine and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain, BUT DO NOT RINSE.
2. In a large saucepan, melt butter and cook garlic for 2 minutes while stirring, and then add ½ cup of the cream over low heat.
3. Stir in the cheeses over medium heat until melted; this will thicken the sauce.
4. Season the sauce with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5. Whisk together the remaining ¼ cup of cream and the egg yolk, and add it to the sauce. From this point, DO NOT let the sauce come to a boil or the egg yolk mixture will overcook.
6. Lift the pasta from the cooking water, and add it to the hot sauce. Add enough of the pasta so that all of the sauce is used and the pasta is thoroughly coated.
7. Serve immediately, and top with additional grated cheese and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Enjoy these takes on Fettuccine Alfredo. To access more recipes from our culinary experts, click HERE.