Fettucini Alfredo, with home made sauce - hmmmmmmm good

Fettuccini Alfredo – ah, so good, so easy, and oh soooo fattening!  Ok, I get it! This stuff is a heart attack on a plate... or, in this case, a bowl.  This is a total treat – but oh so worth it!  I made it tonight, as a last hurrah before Lynne and I go on a lean protein, low fat diet.  We both are trying to loose some weight for our son’s wedding in July – I  need to loose it, she doesn’t, but we both are doing the diet.

So if you are feeling like a decadently rich meal, that takes about 20 minutes total to make, this is your ticket!

Ingredients are simple, technique even more so:

About a 1 inch bunch of white fettucini ( Please don’t use whole wheat…..just ain’t the same!)
1.2  stick butter
½ cup parmesan cheese, or fresh shredded parmesan reggiano cheese
¾ cup heavy cream
2 cloves garlic diced fine
1 small shallot, or ½ med shallot diced fine
3 slices proscuito diced rough
2/3 cup peas
10 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
Salt and Pepper to taste.

In a 3 qt sauce pan, bring 2/3 of the pan of water to boil, after salting, and adding a sprinkle of garlic powder.  Add pasta when comes to a boil, stirring periodically.  Cook till  al dente – about 8 minutes or so.  Test regularly, don’t overcook!

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate sauté pan, melt 2 tbs butter , and sauté garlic and shallots till translucent. Add proscuito, and peas,  sauté till curly, about 3 minutes.  Remove from pan to a separate bowl. 

Rinse sauté pan, and melt stick of butter .over med high heat.  Add cream when butter just about all melted.  Whisk constantly until comes to a boil.  Slowly pour in cheese as you whisk.  ( the parmesan cheese you get in the super market for spaghetti is fine, the fresh ground parmesan – reggiano is even better.  I tend to use a little more than the recipe calls for - maybe another 2 tbs or so- it is totally to taste)  Continue to whisk as sauce thickens.

Drain pasta when done, splash with extra virgin olive oil ( about a tsp at most) and stir to separate, add sauce, proscuito and peas, fresh ground salt and pepper to taste ( about 4 turns each from an average grinder )return to med high heat, stirring regularly and heat till bubbling – about 4 minutes. 

Serve in a bowl, sprinkle with fresh ground cheese.  Enjoy!

Then go jogging in the morning.....

Buon Appetito!

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