Fettuccine Alfredo

The original Alfredo — as served at Alfredo alla Scrofa in Rome since 1914 — is two ingredients: fresh fettuccine and aged Parmigiano-Reggiano, finished with exceptional butter. No cream. No garlic. No chicken. The dish is a demonstration of quality over complexity: the finest eggs for the pasta, a 36-month Parmigiano, and unsalted Italian butter with a high fat content. The creaminess comes from the emulsion, not from cream.

Rome, 1914. Created by Alfredo di Lelio at his restaurant Alfredo alla Scrofa for his wife who had lost her appetite after childbirth. He enriched a simple pasta burro e Parmigiano to maximum indulgence. American celebrities visiting Rome in the 1920s made it famous internationally, where it then evolved into the cream-based version now standard outside Italy.

Pinot Grigio from Trentino-Alto Adige — the restrained, mineral, copper-coloured style that was the original expression of the grape. The delicate acidity lifts the richness without competing. Alternatively, a Gavi di Gavi for its chalky dryness.

Fresh fettuccine: 100g 00 flour to 1 egg yolk plus one whole egg per serving — the extra yolks give the pasta a richness that makes cream redundant Butter quality matters acutely here: use a European-style unsalted butter with minimum 82% fat content (Plugra, Isigny Sainte-Mere, or Lurpak). The lower water content of high-fat butter emulsifies better Parmigiano-Reggiano aged 36 months minimum, grated on a Microplane to a fine powder — coarser grating creates a grainy sauce The emulsion builds in the pan: drain pasta 60 seconds before al dente, reserving 200ml pasta water. In a wide pan, combine pasta, butter, and 50ml pasta water over low heat, tossing constantly Add Parmigiano off the heat in three additions, tossing between each — the residual heat melts the cheese without seizing it The sauce should be glossy and fluid — if it tightens, add pasta water in tablespoon amounts