The Biggest Misconception About Alfredo Sauce, According To The Pasta Queen
Nadia Caterina Munno, also known as TikTok's Pasta Queen, has her own series on Amazon Prime, and she is dishing up all things pasta in each delicious episode. Munno is a proud member of the "Macaroni" dynasty, which simply means she comes from generations of pasta makers dating all the way back to 1860, when they opened their own pasta factory. Her mission: to turn her viewers into real Italians, at least as far as their eating habits are concerned. She showed her pasta prowess when she revealed in the sixth episode that there is a common misconception about the ingredients that go into an Alfredo sauce. Specifically, the Pasta Queen says a traditional Alfredo sauce does not contain heavy cream.
Fettuccine Alfredo is a traditional, simple, classic dish from Rome. Created by Alfredo Di Lelio for his wife after she gave birth, this decadent dish must only contain butter and Parmigiano Reggiano in order to be considered a "real" Alfredo. Capisce?
If you've had a chance to dine at Il Vero Alfredo in Rome where Di Lelio's heirs still serve up his original recipe, then you know how rich and delicious this pasta dish can be. It is so good that celebrities and non-celebrities flock to the restaurant to experience the food and get their photo nailed to the walls as a badge of honor.
Keep it clump-free
This butter and cheese sauce uses equal amounts of sticks of room-temperature, unsalted European-style butter and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. That's it. The Pasta Queen notes European-style butter will be closer to that used by Alfredo Di Lelio. But what makes European butter superior to American butter? European butter has a higher percentage of butterfat which changes both the taste and the texture of the foods it is added to.
The Pasta Queen does not use a burner to melt the butter for this sauce. Instead, the heat from the fettuccine noodles is hot enough after they've boiled and will melt the butter and the cheese when you add these ribbons into the pan. And don't forget to add a sprinkle of starchy pasta water — but just a sprinkle — to add to the creaminess of this dish. If you try to melt the butter and cheese over a heat source, you end up with clumps.
Follow the Pasta Queen's lead on this one if you are making this sauce for a pasta dish and whatever you do, skip the microwave for melting. Munno believes this kitchen appliance is evil and ruins the ingredients. That said, if you are making a quick and easy Alfredo sauce for chicken, and find your cheese clumping in the butter, remove the pan from the heat and stir until the clumps are no more. Dishes that use an Alfredo sauce are meant to be served immediately.