Fettuccine Alfredo: Italian or American dish?

Today in the United States it’s Fettuccine Alfredo Day. An iconic dish that represents Italy, according to Americans. But why is it not the case in Italy? Let’s discover together the true story of Fettuccine Alfredo and its original recipe.

Who is Alfredo? The Roman origins of Fettuccine Alfredo (as told by the restaurant Il Vero Alfredo)

It all began with a great love. Alfredo Di Lelio, a Roman guy from Trastevere, a chef and restaurateur, invented the iconic dish for the love of his wife, Ines. Being very debilitated following the birth of their firstborn, she asked her husband to prepare her something regenerating. Alfredo Di Lelio was born in 1883 in Rome, and began working at the family restaurant. With the birth of his son Armando in 1908, the recipe for this historic dish also saw the light, which would bring him immense fortune and great popularity in the following years. In 1914 Alfredo opened the first restaurant with his name, Alfredo alla Scrofa, which was then sold to different owners. In 1950 he began a new adventure together with his son, opening Il Vero Alfredo, a historic restaurant in Rome.

Fettuccine Alfredo and Hollywood

With the opening of the new restaurant, Alfredo becomes a true legend. Especially in the United States and among Hollywood stars. This is due in particular to a famous couple of American silent cinema actors: Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. The two admirers of this dish, after having spread the word in the States, returned to Alfredo in 1927, with a gift. Two gold cutlery with their names engraved, to thank him for his hospitality. The cutlery is still used today to cream the fettuccine. During the years of the Dolce Vita, therefore, the fame of fettuccine Alfredo is sky-high. Even today, hanging on the walls of the restaurant, we find hundreds of photos of famous actors immortalized together with Alfredo or with other members of the family.

National Fettuccine Alfredo day

We can say that Fettuccine Alfredo is much more famous in the United States than in Italy. So much so that it has its own day. In fact, February 7th is National Fettuccine Alfredo day! Passed down through generations, the recipe in America is not exactly like the Italian original. In fact, to obtain the same result there is heavy cream. Today, you can find dozens of variations of the recipe. With shrimp, mushrooms, peas or spinach and garlic. We know very well that in Italy it is almost impossible to find Fettuccine Alfredo on restaurant menus. In fact, plain pasta existed in Italy long before the Roman chef established it as a traditional dish. However, Alfredo Di Lelio was certainly the first to include it in a restaurant menu, giving prominence to these two very important ingredients: butter and Parmigiano.

Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe: Quantities

(For 2 people)

240 gr of Egg Fettuccine

60 gr of Butter

140 gr of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Coarse salt (for the pasta water)

Pepper (to taste if desired)

The secrets of preparing Fettuccine Alfredo

To obtain authentic Fettuccine Alfredo, you must first of all get fresh eggs. In fact, fettuccine must be made with eggs. The other two essential ingredients are butter and parmigiano. Both very fresh. Parmigiano cheese must be in its early season. The one aged 16 or 24 months is perfect. However, the secret to the perfect cream lies above all in the creaming. You proceed directly on the plate, or on the serving tray, as they still do today at the Il Vero Alfredo restaurant. The fettuccine must be drained slightly al dente and transferred to the plate with the soft butter. You begin creaming them using the pasta cooking water and adding the parmigiano little by little.

 

But do they know fettuccine Alfredo in Rome?

Most likely, if we ask Roman grandmothers the answer will be no! However, most of the new generations know Fettuccine Alfredo, but many of them prefer to call it just butter and Parmigiano pasta. If you look for it on a restaurant menu it will be almost impossible to find it. Even though it was invented in Rome, the real obsession of the Romans, therefore, is not Fettuccine Alfredo, but rather a similar pasta dish. Similar in appearance, perhaps, but certainly not in consistency and taste. We are talking about cacio e pepe, a recipe that can be found all over Rome. Pecorino Romano cheese instead of Parmigiano and an absolute ban on butter. Tonnarello instead of fettuccine. In short, the two recipes are not even comparable. On the contrary, cacio e pepe is the true queen of plain pasta! Not all are the same, however. To learn its secrets, take part in one of our Food Tours.