This week for Tyler Florence Fridays I took a chance and tried Tyler's take on one of my favorite dishes ever -- fettuccine alfredo! I rarely make this because it's so indulgent but it was totally worth it! I've tried tons of alfredo recipes over the years and have never really settled on a favorite recipe, well, I think I now have with this one! It was perfectly creamy, perfectly cheesy, not clumpy, not overdone with garlic or nutmeg -- a little of which is sometimes nice, but this one was just plain perfect. Sorry about the picture though, I didn't garnish with fresh parsley or make it fancy at all -- it was just a fun little dinner for the kiddos and me while hubby was working late.
This was a two part recipe, the pasta and the sauce. The pasta recipe I did in my Lello Pasta Master 3000 with the "tagliatella media" (small fettuccine) extrusion disc. This wonderful pasta maker was a gift for my birthday last summer, I'm such a lucky girl! I've used it a few times and this was the first time I've used a pasta recipe that wasn't in the instruction manual. I loved it! Tyler was right on and I can't wait to use this recipe again, next time I think I will try half semolina flour, which I haven't had a chance to try yet, but have waiting in the pantry.
The only slight problem I had was that since I made 'small fettuccine' I didn't even think to decrease the cooking time, so at 3 minutes my pasta was done slightly more than I like it. Oh-well. I will know better next time, but I'm sure if I had made a bigger fettuccine 3 minutes would probably have been perfect.
Tyler Florence's Fettuccine Alfredo
Pasta Dough
3 cups flour or unbleached all-purpose, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs plus 2 yolks
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon water
Cornmeal, for dusting (did not use)
To make pasta dough: Combine the flour and salt; shape into a mound on your work surface and make a well in the center. Add whole eggs, yolks, and 1 tablespoon olive oil to the well and lightly beat with a fork. Gradually draw in the flour from the inside wall of the well in a circular motion. Use 1 hand for mixing and the other to protect the outer wall. Continue to incorporate all the flour until it forms a ball. Knead and fold the dough until elastic and smooth, this should take about 10 minutes. Brush the surface with remaining olive oil and wrap the dough in plastic wrap; let rest for about 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax. Divide the ball of dough in small sections, cover and reserve the dough you are not immediately using to prevent it from drying out. Form the dough into a rectangle and roll it through the pasta machine, 2 or 3 times, at widest setting. Pull and stretch the sheet of dough with the palm of your hand as it emerges from the rollers. Reduce the setting and crank dough through again, 2 or 3 times. Continue tightening and rolling until the sheet is about 1/4-inch thick. Keep in mind, overly thick pasta tastes gummy. Cut the long sheet into workable 18-inch pieces. Now, using the fettuccine cutting attachment, run the sheets through the cutting slot. Dust the noodles and a baking sheet with cornmeal. Coil the strands into a nest. Allow to dry for about 10 minutes before cooking.
Alfredo Sauce
1 pint (2 cups) heavy cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Freshly cracked black pepper (I skipped this, not a pepper fan)
To prepare alfredo sauce: Heat heavy cream over low-medium heat in a deep saute pan. Add butter and whisk gently to melt. Sprinkle in cheese and stir to incorporate.
In a large stockpot, cook pasta in plenty of boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Quickly drain the pasta and add it to the saute pan, gently toss the noodles to coat in the alfredo. Transfer pasta to a warm serving bowl. Top with more grated cheese and chopped parsley. Serve immediately. 