Traditional Fettuccine Alfredo

Overhead view of a plate of fettuccine alfredo with a fork.

4.67 from 9 votes

Traditional Fettuccine Alfredo

This traditional Fettuccine Alfredo is made with butter, Parmesan, and simple seasonings—no cream needed! A comforting and budget-friendly Italian classic.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Total Cost: ($3.65 recipe / $0.45 serving)

Servings: servings

Author: Jess Rice

Ingredients

1 lb fettuccine pasta* $0.98
1 stick salted butter $0.99
1 tsp salt $0.03
1 tsp ground black pepper $0.17
2 cloves garlic, finely minced $0.08
¾ cup pasta water $0.00
1 ¼ cup grated Parmesan, divided** $1.35
½ Tbsp fresh parsley, minced $0.05

Instructions

Put salted water on to boil and boil fettuccine noodles for 10-12 minutes until al dente.
Meanwhile, you can melt butter in a large sauté pan with salt, pepper, and finely minced garlic. Cook on medium low heat for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
Once your pasta is cooked, strain it, but reserve at least 3/4 cup of the pasta water! This is an important step! I like to keep my cooked pasta off to the side in the now-empty boiling pot with a clean, damp kitchen towel over the top.
Add ¼ cup pasta water to the garlic and butter mixture and whisk to combine. Let it bubble and thicken for 3-4 minutes
Sprinkle in half the grated Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup at a time, while continuously whisking until a smooth sauce forms. Add extra pasta water, if needed (you should have ½ cup of reserved pasta water left to use.)
Once your pan sauce is done, add the cooked fettuccine, the remaining grated Parmesan cheese, and the minced parsley. Toss to combine.
Top with any remaining grated Parmesan cheese you may have (optional). Serve immediately.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*I kept things traditional and used fettuccine pasta, but you can use any type of pasta you love.

**The original recipe made by Alfredo di Lelio used Parmigiano Reggiano, which I'm sure is absolutely delicious. I personally use standard Parmesan in my version to keep it affordable and easy to find, but if you have the real deal, go for it! I don't recommend using canned Parmesan, though. It can make your sauce grainy.

Nutrition