This fresh take on a classic Italian dish is complemented by a textured, site-expressive Chardonnay from Stonestreet Estate.
Ingredients
- 1 pound fettuccine pasta
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted European-style butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons organic whole milk
- 1 ¼ cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, or more
- Pink peppercorns, toasted, for serving
Method
- In a large pot, bring 4 to 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil over high heat; add a pinch of salt. Add the fettuccine, stirring gently, and return the water to a boil. For authentic al dente pasta, boil uncovered, for one minute less than the package instructions indicate, stirring occasionally. Toward the end of the cooking time, set aside a couple of ladles of the pasta water. Remove the fettuccine from the heat. Drain well.
- While the fettuccine cooks, place the butter in a small mixing bowl, add the milk and, using a fork, mash or whisk the mixture for 3 minutes. This mixture is what I call the triple butter. If making the mixture ahead, store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook the rest of the dish.
- In a large skillet, heat the mixture over medium-low heat, whisking it to a creamy, emulsified, consistency. Turn off the heat. Add some of the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Add the drained, cooked pasta, stirring so that it absorbs some of the sauce. Add some of the pasta water and continue, adding a generous amount of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Using tongs, gently stir the pasta and sauce together, adding more pasta water as needed. Next, twirl the fettuccine to make four spirals and place them in the middle of four plates. Add a little more grated cheese and a sprinkling of pink peppercorns. Drizzle over some of the remaining sauce. Serve with love and get ready to enjoy one of Italy’s most beloved pasta dishes. Buon appetito!
- To toast the peppercorns: Heat a small sauté pan over medium heat, add the peppercorns and toast, shaking and stirring until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool. Be careful not to burn the peppercorns as they will continue cooking in the hot pan after the heat has been turned off.
It is said that Fettuccine Alfredo was created in Rome in early 1900s by Alfredo di Lelio–who prepared it as a gesture of love for his wife, after she gave birth to their first child. To help her feel better, Alfredo added more Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and butter to an existing recipe, turning it into a rich and creamy fettuccine. According to legend, he made it even more romantic by mixing the pasta with a gold spoon and fork. My variation warms the triple butter, before adding the cooked pasta and includes pink peppercorns, which add a touch of spice and texture to the pasta, as well as a lovely spot of color.