Creamy Alfredo

Apparently we are on a pasta and chicken kick here lately. Tonight we had fettuccine alfredo with grilled chicken and peas. I decided to try Giada’s recipe for the alfredo sauce which is new to us. To complete the meal Russ grilled chicken breasts and I added frozen peas to the mix.

To make the sauce you add the cream, lemon juice, and butter in a sauté pan and stir them together over medium heat. To lighten the dish a little I used half cream and half skim milk. Once the sauce has cooked for a couple minutes you remove it from the heat and add the lemon zest and nutmeg. When the fettuccine noodles are cooked you toss them with the sauce and add the last of the cream, Parmesan cheese, and white pepper. I also added the frozen peas at this point. You let the pasta mixture cook for a few minutes. I let it cook a little longer than Giada called for since the frozen peas cooled it off a little. Russ grilled the chicken and cut it on the bias. We added the chicken to the top of the pasta.

All in all this was a very simple meal to put together on a week night. While it is a heavier alfredo sauce than what we have made in the past it did have a tasty, creamy flavor and texture. Russ deems it worth the splurge and gives it a 9.

Fettuccine Alfredo, Everyday Italian, Giada de Laurentiis
6 First-Course Servings

1 and 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 to 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Salt
9 ounces fresh fettuccine
1 cup freshly ground Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, plus more for taste

In a large, heavy skillet, stir 1 cup of the cream and the lemon juice to blend. Add the butter and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, just until the butter melts, about 3 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest and nutmeg. Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite, about 4 minutes. Drain. Add the pasta, the remaining 1/2 cup of cream, the Parmesan, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper to the cream sauce in the skillet. Toss over low heat until the sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the pasta to wide, shallow serving bowls and serve immediately.