Alfredo Sauce? Your tips and recipes.

[Mylegsbig]

How do you guys going about making alfredo sauce? Any tips and tricks? What are your favorite ingredients etc?

If all else, just post your tried and true recipe. I know i can go search for a recipe on the internet, but bollocks to that.

 

[eric]

How do you guys going about making alfredo sauce?

Alfredo is soooo good and sooo simple. Make sure you visit the gym or do a run the next day.

Get your mis-en-place ready
cream
parmesian -- I like it very cheesy
salt/pepper (white pepper if you have)

Optionals:
chopped parsely
cooked bacon, pancetta, or any pork product
mushrooms (any variety, try a dried wild mix, reconstitute first)
sundried or fresh tomatoes
artichokes
garlic
Very optional -- egg yolk

Reduce the cream a little
add the cheese
toss cooked fettucine
add any of the optionals

 

[Mylegsbig]

Alfredo is soooo good and sooo simple. Make sure you visit the gym or do a run the next day.

Get your mis-en-place ready
cream
parmesian -- I like it very cheesy
salt/pepper (white pepper if you have)

Optionals:
chopped parsely
cooked bacon, pancetta, or any pork product
mushrooms (any variety, try a dried wild mix, reconstitute first)
sundried or fresh tomatoes
artichokes
garlic
Very optional -- egg yolk

Reduce the cream a little
add the cheese
toss cooked fettucine
add any of the optionals

sounds simple, but very tasty.

you dont add milk or butter to the sauce?

 

[middie]

you could probably use milk but i think it's better with cream

 

[Mylegsbig]

you could probably use milk but i think it's better with cream

im noob to cooking, i assumed you'd use both

 

[eric]

sounds simple, but very tasty.

you dont add milk or butter to the sauce?

Butter will make it "silky". Up to you. Milk? Umm, no. Already lots of cream in it. Butter will aslo make it bind little.

 

[lindatooo]

The advantage to cream is that you can simmer it without breaking the sauce - milk will curdle. I LOVE alfredo and this sounds like a delightful recipe! Thank you!

 

[Mylegsbig]

how long should you simmer the sauce?

 

[archer_456]

We always used Half-n-Half (Cream) for our alfredo sauces. Like Eric said though, get ready for the gym, LOL. I have a good recipe that I look for and post, I also have a low fat version of the same recipe. When I get a chance i'll post both of them.

 

[Andy M.]

Eric's recipe is a good one.

I use heavy cream, butter, black pepper and parm.

 

[jennyema]

Yep, Eric's way is how I do it, too.

It's very easy. Always use the best quality cheese you can find.

BTW half and half isn't cream ... it's half cream and half milk.

Cream usually works better because of what lindaloo said -- no curdling.

Also, cream gives the sauce the distinctive rich taste and mouthfeel.

 

[Rob Babcock]

At home I tend to simply use heavy cream, a tad of butter, a splash of white wine and fresh parm. Toss a pat of butter in your pan and melt it, then add the wine. Simmer briefly to cook most of the alcohol, then add the cream. Reduce the cream til it's near the consistenscy you like, then stir in parm and let it cook til the cheese is incorporated nicely, stirring occasionally, but don't overcook. Finish with a bit of fresh ground pepper.

If I need a large batch I like to start with bachemel sauce and all the cheese, butter, wine & cream to that.

 

[Mylegsbig]

At home I tend to simply use heavy cream, a tad of butter, a splash of white wine and fresh parm. Toss a pat of butter in your pan and melt it, then add the wine. Simmer briefly to cook most of the alcohol, then add the cream. Reduce the cream til it's near the consistenscy you like, then stir in parm and let it cook til the cheese is incorporated nicely, stirring occasionally, but don't overcook. Finish with a bit of fresh ground pepper.

If I need a large batch I like to start with bachemel sauce and all the cheese, butter, wine & cream to that.

What are some ratios? I'm going to make this for dinner in a couple of days. I'll be cooking for me and my girlfriend, and would like some leftovers. Will be using 12 OZ of fettucini. About how much cream and fresh parm do i need? I like your white wine idea.

 

[tootstl]

It is traditional and also very tasty to add some freshly grated nutmeg to the dish just prior to serving. Also, for the best flavor, use parmeggiano regianno (sp).

I love to add different ingredients to my alfredo to change it up a bit. Some of the winners are grilled chicken breast (or pan fried with just a touch of smoke flavoring added), chopped spinach, roasted red pepper (I only recommend freshly roasted as the vinegar from jarred adds off flavor and can curdle sauce), dehydrated tomatoes(I dehydrate my own from my garden), shrimp that has been simmered in garlic, butter, white wine and parsley, chicken breast that has been simmered in garlic, butter,white wine and fresh tarragon, I could go on but now I need to get to the kitchen and make some alfreddo!

 

[Chef Wil]

Good traditional recipes above but I add more cheeses to my sauce. I use 1/2 Parm, 1/3 Prov a bit of Romano and a few crumbs of blue or gorg. I always use mfg. cream for my sauce. The combo of cheeses brings up the flavor to a new level.

 

[jkath]

I never thought of using bleu cheese in alfredo - sounds amazing, to say the least! I must try that.
I use pretty much the standard recipe as those above, and my favorite is with fettucine, peas and pancetta with romano over the top. I eat like this at least 2x per week, which is why I work out for an hour 6 days a week! But it is soooooo worth it!
ps - does anyone else use a couple of drops of lemon juice? I do on occasion, and haven't found curdling to be a problem.

Also, Archer, your avatar is the best!

 

[sherifffruitfly]

I've been doing 1/2 parm/asiago, 1/2 blue for over a year now. I can't even remember what that old, plain, tasteless alfredo used to taste like any more.... Smidge of red pepper flakes and dash of nutmeg rock too!

[grin]

 

[Andy M.]

I've been doing 1/2 parm/asiago, 1/2 blue for over a year now. I can't even remember what that old, plain, tasteless alfredo used to taste like any more.... Smidge of red pepper flakes and dash of nutmeg rock too!

[grin]

When a recipe strays too far from the original, you should stop calling it by the original name. Perhaps you could call it a three cheese cream sauce.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I once had an occasion wehn the local stores were sold out of cream. I wanted Alfredo Sauce very badly, so I compromized. This method also creates a very good Alfredo Sauce, when cream isn't handy (of course use Eric's method whenever fresh cream is available, it's the best basic Alfredo Sauce on the planet).

Melt 4 tbs. butter in a sauce-pan. Add 4 tbs. all-purpose flour and stir until all is incorporated together. Cook just until the roux begins to melt. Stir in milk, a little at a time while whisking vigorously. When enough liquid has been added and stirred in, you will have a silky smooth sauce that coats a spoon. This is a basic Bechemel Sauce. Add a bit of salt to taste, and pepper if you so desire. Then add about a half-cup of grated Parmigeano Regiano, again a little at a time, stirring with a whisk until completely blended.

And there you have it. Another version of Alfredo Sauce.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Constance]

That's the way I make it all the time, Weed. It tastes delicious and my tummy likes it better without all the rich butter and cream.