You cant beat fettuccine Alfredo for a rich, adaptable 30-minute meal

In the words of Jay-Z, “Allow me to reintroduce myself.”

Regular readers of The Washington Post’s food coverage and anyone who has ever joined our weekly cooking chats are probably already familiar with me and my work. But now that I’ll be taking over the Dinner in Minutes column, trying to fill the shoes left by former recipes editor Ann Maloney, I thought I’d give you a refresher about me and explain the types of recipes I plan to highlight in this space.

I was born and raised in Chicago and went to college in St. Louis, so soul food and hearty Midwest dishes form the foundation of my culinary philosophy. To me, that means there’s generally a thread of comfort in many of the recipes I create. On top of that, I spent about 13 years in New York City, which introduced me to a more global pantry and deepened my love for streamlined cooking because of the tiny kitchen I had to put up with for most of my time there. (My D.C. apartment kitchen is so much bigger.)

Advertisement

Get the recipe: Fettuccine Alfredo

I’m an omnivore but have become more conscious about my consumption of meat and seafood. I also have a fin fish allergy, so I won’t be featuring them during my tenure. Outside of what I can’t consume, there isn’t really much I won’t eat.

In terms of flavor profiles, I enjoy the big and the bold as well as dishes that are simple and subtle — and everything in between. I’m a curious cook who loves to experiment in the kitchen and also finds pleasure in revisiting old favorites. Long story short: I love it all! I’m excited about the first set of recipes I have lined up to share with you, but if there’s anything you’re interested in — a cuisine, ingredient or dish (that we don’t already have in our database of more than 10,000 recipes) — send me an email or leave a comment.

Advertisement

The mission of the Dinner in Minutes column is to provide readers with reliable weeknight recipes that will (hopefully) quickly become family favorites and can be made in 45 minutes or less. I plan to share a variety of dishes to suit myriad tastes, but I think this is one that almost everyone will love. For my first act, I’m highlighting an Italian American classic: fettuccine Alfredo. It’s creamy, comforting, easy to prepare and a worthy addition to your dinner repertoire.

The dish was created — or updated, rather — in the early 20th century by Roman restaurateur Alfredo di Lelio. It is based on fettuccine al burro, which is simply pasta coated in a sauce of butter and cheese. That’s it. Just three ingredients (plus salt). However, di Lelio increased the amount of butter for a richer, creamier sauce. The story goes that he prepared it as a way to nourish his wife after she gave birth to their son and lost her appetite — and, needless to say, she found it again with each forkful of comforting carbs and dairy. This updated version landed on his restaurant’s menu, and when it made its way to the United States, its name was updated to reference di Lelio.

The key to a silky sauce in the original version is creating an emulsion with the pasta cooking water, butter and cheese. However, this requires a skilled hand lest you end up with a broken sauce. For a less finicky, albeit nontraditional Alfredo sauce, cooks at some point started adding heavy cream. And as someone who is all about making things easier, I add it, too. Other additions often include black pepper, garlic, some sort of meat and/or vegetable, and a flourish of fresh parsley.

My version starts by cooking chicken or mushrooms in a skillet until nicely browned. (Chicken is probably more popular, but I prefer mushrooms.) The Alfredo sauce is then prepared in that same skillet, which can add even more flavor if there are browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, depending on the material it’s made out of, that then get incorporated into the sauce. Lastly, the pasta and some of its cooking water join in on the fun while the fettuccine finishes cooking and marries with the sauce. (Remember, you always want to finish pasta in the sauce if it’s warm.)

Yes, one could argue that this recipe is a far cry from the original, but it still possesses the same comforting, nourishing spirit — and can be on the dinner table in just 30 minutes.

Get the recipe: Fettuccine Alfredo

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZLOwu8NoaWlqZGR9cnuRbGafnaSpwqSvyKecZpmcm7%2BmsM5mnK%2BnnKrBqrvNZpuipp6av261zWakoqalqbK0ew%3D%3D