Simple Alfredo Sauce
Simple Alfredo Sauce
- 1 quart heavy cream
- 1 cup (2 sticks) of salted butter
- 1 block (8 oz) of softened cream cheese
- 2 cups high quality shredded Parmesan cheese
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 pinch of nutmeg (or to taste)
- chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley for garnish (optional)
Heat heavy cream over medium heat in a deep saute pan. Add butter and whisk gently to melt. When the butter and cream mixture is steaming and becoming frothy sprinkle in cheese and stir to incorporate. Add the cream cheese to thicken the sauce. Season with freshly cracked black pepper & just a dash of nutmeg. Taste to see if you have added enough salt. Serve with preferred pasta cooked a dente. A little of this sauce goes a long way. Serves 10-12.
This Alfredo sauce is just the beginning of a delicious creamy pasta dish. We usually serve a pasta bar with a choice of alfredo, simple tomato sauce or pesto. I also have a choice of toppings to spice up the dish. My favorites are sun-dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers. Other toppings for a pasta bar could be grilled chicken breast, cooked shrimp, artichoke hearts, pine nuts, or broccoli. Think of what you would order at your favorite Italian restaurant and try to recreate it at home. The sauce could also be cooked with a bit of minced garlic if you prefer more seasoning. If the sauce is not as thick as desired mix in a small amount of a cornstarch-water mixture. (About one teaspoon cornstarch to three teaspoons water). Be patient with the sauce, it will thicken as it cools. Experiment with different sides and seasonings. I prefer penne pasta because once it cooks it holds up so nicely in the refrigerator.
Obviously the amount of fat could easily be reduced; however, I prefer this dish to be restaurant style creamy and prepare it only for special occasions. This recipe was adapted from Tyler Florence’s Fettuccine Alfredo recipe.
