Let’s figure out what alfredo sauce is and where it came from. And only then – let’s move on to how alfredo sauce is made and what it is eaten with.
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History of appearance
Italian alfredo sauce is most often found in combination with pasta (almost always with fettuccine pasta). In the United States it is served in every Italian restaurant, of which there are many. On the menu of absolutely any such establishment there is a dish called fettuccine Alfredo. But in Italy, gas station is not nearly as popular. How did this happen?
The origins of alfredo sauce really began in the Apennines. More specifically, in a Roman restaurant owned by a certain Alfredo di Lelio. This happened in the 20s. XX century.
It all happened almost by accident. The restaurateur’s wife recently gave birth, and the recovering body refused to accept most of the usual dishes. In particular, the woman was constantly sick of traditional pasta sauces. And the attending physician recommended eating more butter. So Di Lelio prepared fettuccine for his wife and seasoned it with a delicate white sauce based on butter and Parmesan.
The dish not only did not make the woman sick, but she also liked the taste. The inspired chef tried to serve it to restaurant visitors – they also approved of the new product.
But the interesting thing is that Alfredo di Lelio’s restaurant was aimed at tourists. The Italians almost never went there. But one day silent film stars from Hollywood itself showed up. These were Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, two of the most famous actors of their time.
Having tried the pasta in white sauce, the artists were impressed, asked the chef for the recipe and took it to America. But before that, they gave the restaurateur a golden spoon and fork and their photograph. These gifts decorate the interior of the still-operating restaurant that Alfredo once owned.
This is how Italian alfredo sauce moved from Italy to the USA. It’s incredibly popular there – fettuccine alfredo pasta is one of the most frequently ordered dishes. But on the Apennine Peninsula itself, the sauce is not served in restaurants. It is prepared only at home when people expect to eat something light, tasty and simple.
Classical
To prepare white alfredo sauce according to the classic recipe, you will need a lot of ingredients. But each of them can be purchased at any supermarket, and the cooking procedure will only take a couple of tens of minutes.
Composition:
- butter – 120 g;
- cream (fat content – not less than 30%) – 500 ml;
- parmesan – 100 g;
- cream cheese (any) – 120 g;
- garlic – 1 clove;
- dried garlic – 1 tsp;
- Italian herbs – 1 tsp;
- salt – 1 pinch;
- ground black pepper – 1 pinch.
Recipe:
- Place butter, cream cheese and cream in a saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until all ingredients form a homogeneous mass.
- Chop the garlic. Add garlic powder, salt, dried herbs and spices to the saucepan. Stir well until smooth.
- Grate Parmesan on the finest grater. Add it there too. Stir again.
- Boil until the cream thickens. Usually this takes no more than 5 minutes (if you stir and do not reduce the heat).
Classic alfredo sauce at home should be immediately mixed with boiled pasta and served. It can be stored in the refrigerator, but tastes best when served hot.
Simple recipe
For home use, you can prepare Alfredo sauce using a simplified recipe. As long as the main ingredients are present (Parmesan, butter and cream), the dressing will still be just as tasty.
Composition:
- butter – 50 g;
- cream (fat content – not less than 30%) – 250 ml;
- parmesan – 100 g;
- salt;
- ground black pepper.
Recipe:
- Melt the butter in a saucepan.
- Add cream. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Immediately after boiling, reduce the heat so that the future sauce does not boil, but simmers gently.
- Finely grate the Parmesan and add it to the saucepan. Stir.
- When the Parmesan cheese has melted, immediately remove the dressing from the heat.
In classic Italian cuisine there is no spicy alfredo sauce. But when preparing a simple recipe, nothing prevents you from adding more ground pepper or even pieces of jalapeño. Fans of spice will definitely like this option.
For pasta
Any variety of alfredo is good for adding to pasta. But there is a separate recipe for DIY alfredo sauce, which is used only for pasta. It differs mainly in its cooking technology.
Composition:
- butter – 40 g;
- cream (fat content – 20%) – 400 ml;
- parmesan – 100 g;
- garlic – 2 cloves;
- salt;
- ground black pepper.
How to cook:
- Melt the butter in a frying pan.
- Chop the garlic with a knife and add to the oil. Keep on low heat for 3 minutes.
- Add cream. Bring to a boil while constantly stirring.
- When the contents of the pan begin to boil, sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Immediately reduce heat to low.
- Grate the Parmesan and also add to the pan (about a minute after the spices).
- Stir until the cheese melts. Then either turn off the heat, or pour the pasta into the frying pan and mix with the sauce directly in it.
You can also make tomato alfredo sauce using this recipe. You just need to dissolve about 20 g of tomato paste in the cream before pouring it into the frying pan. And if you find it too sour, balance the taste with a pinch of sugar.
For pizza
Many pizzerias use alfredo as white sauce for pizza. For homemade pizza, you can also prepare alfredo sauce like in “Dodo” and many other famous pizzerias. And for some people it will be pizza just like at school – of course, they don’t add Parmesan, but the recipes are often similar.
Ingredients:
- butter – 80 g;
- cream – 350 ml;
- milk (fat content – from 3.2%) – 350 ml;
- parmesan – 120 g;
- flour – 2 tbsp. L.;
- dried garlic – 0.5 tsp;
- dried onions – 0.5 tsp;
- sol – 0.5 h. l.;
- ground black pepper – 0.5 tsp.
Step by step recipe:
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a thick-bottomed saucepan.
- As soon as the butter melts, add dried onions and garlic. Stir.
- Add flour. Stirring continuously, cook for 1 minute.
- Without stopping whisking the contents of the saucepan, pour in first the cream and then the milk in a thin stream. It is advisable that both liquids be at room temperature (not cold).
- Grate Parmesan. When the future sauce thickens a little, add cheese to the saucepan. Reduce heat to low.
- Boil until Parmesan is dissolved. Add salt and pepper, stir and turn off immediately.
This recipe is not the proprietary alfredo sauce from any pizzeria, but close to it. Although manufacturers of pizza with alfredo sauce do not reveal their secrets, this recipe allows you to get the most similar taste and aroma. Therefore, it is often added to schools and fast food cafes.
With Chiken
Creamy alfredo sauce goes well with chicken. Moreover, you can cook spaghetti with alfredo sauce and chicken, or just a chicken dish, without adding pasta.
Composition:
- chicken fillet – 350 g;
- pasta – 200 g;
- champignons – 200 g;
- onions – 1 pc.;
- parsley – 4 sprigs;
- butter – 50 g;
- cream – 400 ml;
- parmesan – 60 g;
- garlic – 3 cloves;
- nutmeg – 1 pinch;
- salt;
- pepper.
How to prepare:
- Boil the pasta.
- Melt the butter in a frying pan.
- Cut the chicken into small pieces. Place in a frying pan with oil, season with salt and pepper. Fry over fairly high heat.
- Chop the onion and garlic as finely as possible. Cut the champignons into slices.
- When the chicken is cooked, transfer to a plate. Instead, add onion and garlic to the pan.
- After 3 minutes, add mushrooms to the onions. Fry until half cooked.
- Add cream to the pan. Bring to a boil and immediately turn the heat down to low.
- Continue cooking for 10-15 minutes. Then add Parmesan, salt and spices and mix thoroughly.
- Add chicken and cooked pasta to the pan. Turn off the fire.
This skillet chicken alfredo sauce recipe is one of several ways to prepare it. You don’t have to add any mushrooms or pasta and it’s just stewed chicken with a sauce that suits it perfectly.
With shrimps
Alfredo sauce and pasta go well not only with chicken, but also with shrimp. Since garlic sauce goes well with these seafood, alfredo should be seasoned with a few cloves of garlic.
Composition:
- king prawns (without shells) – 300 g;
- pasta – 200 g;
- butter – 50 g;
- cream (fat content – not less than 20%) – 250 ml;
- parmesan – 40 g;
- onions – 0.5 pcs.;
- garlic – 3 cloves;
- fish sauce – 1 tsp;
- olive oil – 2 tbsp. l.;
- salt;
- pepper.
Homemade recipe:
- Boil the pasta.
- Melt butter in a large frying pan.
- Chop the onion and garlic with a knife. Add to melted butter and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add cream and fish sauce. Boil.
- After boiling, quickly reduce heat to low. Simmer for 7-10 minutes, stirring regularly.
- In a second frying pan, fry the shrimp in olive oil, stirring frequently. They must be cooked for no longer than 3 minutes, otherwise they will become tough.
- Mix shrimp with sauce and Parmesan. Stir until the cheese dissolves.
- Combine with pasta.
Like in “Chocolate Girl”
Many people have tried pasta with alfredo in coffee shops of the Shokoladnitsa chain. It’s worth saying that the dressing they prepare is really tasty. Although the ingredients are no different from other recipes, there is a noticeable difference in dosages. Therefore, to get the sauce like in “Shokoladnitsa”, you need to follow this recipe exactly.
Composition:
- butter – 20 g;
- cream (fat content – 30% or 33%) – 300 ml;
- parmesan – 80 g;
- salt – 4 g;
- ground black pepper – 1 pinch.
Recipe:
- Place the cream in a saucepan over low heat. It is better that the dishes have a thick bottom. Boil.
- Add oil. Stir continuously until completely dissolved.
- Grate the Parmesan cheese on a fine grater. Add to the saucepan.
- Stirring constantly, cook until slightly thickened. You can’t increase the heat – you’ll get a completely different taste.
Also, many “Shokoladnitsa” restaurants serve truffle alfredo sauce. To prepare this, just add 5-10 drops of oil. It is difficult to say the exact dosage, because some manufacturers make it more rich and aromatic. You should focus on your preferences.