Fettucine alfredo
This Italian pasta builds clotted cream, parmesan cheese and fettuccine into a proper meal you can have ready in about 70 minutes. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 9 steps.
You'll mainly reach for saucepan and pan. At medium difficulty across 9 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (4)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- In a medium saucepan, stir the clotted cream, butter and cornflour over a low-ish heat and bring to a low simmer. Turn off the heat and keep warm.
- Meanwhile, put the cheese and nutmeg in a small bowl and add a good grinding of black pepper, then stir everything together (don’t add any salt at this stage).
- Put the pasta in another pan with 2 tsp salt, pour over some boiling water and cook following pack instructions (usually 3-4 mins).
- When cooked, scoop some of the cooking water into a heatproof jug or mug and drain the pasta, but not too thoroughly.
- Add the pasta to the pan with the clotted cream mixture, then sprinkle over the cheese and gently fold everything together over a low heat using a rubber spatula.
- When combined, splash in 3 tbsp of the cooking water.
- At first, the pasta will look wet and sloppy: keep stirring until the water is absorbed and the sauce is glossy.
- Check the seasoning before transferring to heated bowls.
- Sprinkle over some chives or parsley, then serve immediately.
You'll use: Saucepan · Pan
Watch how it's made
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Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
- Parmesan
- pecorino · grana padano · aged asiago
What to serve with Fettucine alfredo
- Spaghetti Bolognese Beef
- Spicy Arrabiata Penne Vegetarian
- Vegan Lasagna Vegan
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad Seafood
Tips & common questions
How long does Fettucine alfredo take to make?
About 70 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 9 steps and 7 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Fettucine alfredo vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Recipe data for Fettucine alfredo via TheMealDB (open database). ▶ Video. Original source. Consomee adds the scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.