My alfredo sauce is simply the best. It’s beyond delicious and cheesy, with a little garlic, a lot of gruyere cheese (so melty! so nutty!), and a hint of freshly grated nutmeg. (Just trust me!) It’s divine. I don’t actually often cook fettuccine but I was inspired by Kate Winslet’s line in The Holiday, “Shall I make us a little Christmas fettuccine?” so I decided to make fettuccine alfredo for my Christmas dinner party alongside my Loaded Focaccia.
This is such an easy dish for entertaining. It requires practically no prep and can be made literally in the time it takes to boil pasta. I’ve made it many times for many wild party themes, such as Graveyard Pasta for my Haunted Mansion party and Kree Blood Pasta for my Captain Marvel party. (My friend Irene was delighted to finally eat my alfredo sauce looking normal for once!)
I keep whole nutmegs in my pantry. I think I bought 5 for $1 three years ago and they’re still going strong. Whole grated nutmeg tastes really nothing like powdered nutmeg so do not substitute ground nutmeg. If you don’t have whole nutmegs, leave it out. I also recommend picking up some whole nutmegs next time you’re at the store because it’s so cheap and a little freshly grated nutmeg makes so many dishes taste wonderful!
I make many things that are delicious leftover. Alfredo sauce really begs to be eaten as soon as you make it. Most cheese sauces do not heat up well the next day and this is no exception. For that reason and since it makes a ton, I love making this when I have 4-6 friends over so we can indulge and eat up the entire pan. Yum!
Fettuccine Alfredo
1 pound fettuccine
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 cup freshly grated gruyere cheese
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- Boil a pot of salted water over high heat. Add fettuccine and cook according to package directions.
- While pasta is boiling, melt one stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter with minced garlic over low heat. Add heavy whipping cream, salt, and pepper, and stir until uniform in color.
- Add parmesan and grayed gruyere and whisk over low heat until cheesy is completely melted. (Be patient!)
- Grate fresh nutmeg into the sauce, whisk, and add a pound of cooked fettuccine, using tongs to carefully coat the noodles with the sauce. Serve immediately.
Read about my Christmas dinner party here. Watch the episode:
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