Fettuccine Alfredo
Yesterday, my flatmate and I were talking about the different mentality between American (she is from Texas) and European people.
Obviously, I told her that even in Europe, every countries has the own mentality and traditions. That being said, she asked me about Fettuccine Alfredo, they are so popular in USA. Now in Italy, the most people do not know about this dish, or rather, they think that you say ” Pasta with 4 cheese” that is more common in Italy. But I was so lucky that my grandfather was a food critic and I know about this dish from him.
However that may be, who would have said that the number one dish of Italian restaurants in the US, is a recipe unknown to us ( Italian)?. So popular in America as to be almost a plate of traditional Italian-American! Yet the Fettuccine Alfredo is a dish very Italian, born in Rome in 1914 in a restaurant for the hands of its owner, Alfredo precisely, based on ingredients simple and very quick to prepare.
The history of fettuccine Alfredo evokes a distant time, that of the Roman “Dolce Vita” which animated the capital years ago.
Fettuccine Alfredo are fettuccine pasta seasoned with butter and Parmesan cheese, mixed together with a little ‘cooking water to obtain a homogeneous and tasty sauce that makes the dough irresistible! You can spice up the Fettuccine to taste with pepper or nutmeg, or together, depending on your tastes to give a bit of extra flavor to your dish.
There is also a condiment in the US ready, said Alfredo Sauce to season the pasta, but very far from the original recipe of the Roman restaurant.
Fettuccine Alfredo is a version of the classic pasta with butter, creamy with Parmesan: a quick recipe and delicate, perfect to be proposed for an impromptu dinner with friends!
Curiosity, the restaurant still exists today, I ate there approximately in 2011, and is fabulous.
http://www.alfredo-roma.it/index-eng.htm
Difficulty: very low
Preparation: 5 min
Cooking time: 10 min
Serves: 4 people
Cost: very low
Ingredients
- Fettuccine pasta 400 gr
- Butter 250
- Grated Parmesan cheese 350g
- Salt q.s.
- Water from the pasta q.s.
- White Peper q.s. (Optional)
- Nutmeg q.s. (optional)
Preparation.
To prepare the fettuccine Alfredo, you start to cook in boiling salted water for the fettuccine minutes of time required (indicated on package your fettuccine), turning occasionally to prevent them from sticking together. Towards the end of cooking, taken a couple of ladles of water from the pasta, which will serve later.
When the noodles are cooked, drain them “al dente” and prepared a bowl in which you will put the softened butter at room temperature and the fettuccine. Mix well so as to melt the butter and not to attack the fettuccine.
Then add the grated cheese and continue stirring, adding flush a little cooking water, until the cheese is melted and sauce you will not have got a soft and homogeneous. Season with salt if it should ultimately be necessary and season to taste with pepper, preferably white and a pinch of nutmeg. Here you are your Fettuccine Alfredo!
P.s
I will post pictures as soon as possible, however, it is really easy to prepare.
HISTORY OF ALFREDO DI LELIO CREATOR IN 1908 OF “FETTUCCINE ALL’ALFREDO”, NOW SERVED BY THE GRANDNEPHEW, INES DI LELIO, AT THE RESTAURANT “IL VERO ALFREDO” – “ALFREDO DI ROMA” IN ROME, PIAZZA AUGUSTO IMPERATORE 30
RispondiEliminaWith reference of your article I have the pleasure to tell you the history of my grandfather Alfredo Di Lelio, who is the creator of “fettuccine all’Alfredo” in 1908 in restaurant run by his mother Angelina in Rome, Piazza Rosa (Piazza disappeared in 1910 following the construction of the Galleria Colonna / Sordi). This trattoria is “the birthplace of fettuccine all’Alfredo”.
Alfredo di Lelio opened the restaurant “Alfredo” in 1914 in a street in central Rome, after leaving the restaurant of his mother Angelina.
In 1943, during the war, Di Lelio sold the restaurant to others outside his family.
In 1950 Alfredo Di Lelio decided to reopen with his son Armando his restaurant in Piazza Augusto Imperatore n.30 "Il Vero Alfredo" (“Alfredo di Roma”), which is now managed by his nephews Ines, with the famous “gold cutlery”” (fork and spoon gold) donated in 1927 by two well-known American actors Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks (in gratitude for the hospitality).
See also the site of “Il Vero Alfredo” (in which there are also news about franchising) .
I must clarify that other restaurants "Alfredo" in Rome do not belong to the family tradition of "Il Vero Alfredo" in Rome.
I inform you that the restaurant “Il Vero Alfredo” is in the registry of “Historic Shops of Excellence” of the City of Rome Capitale.
Best regards Ines Di Lelio