Alfredo Sauce

Alfredo sauce is as simple as it is delicious.  I mean cream and cheese…how you can go wrong?  I keep this alfredo sauce recipe to just a few ingredients, but it’s actually a very easy sauce to modify with things like garlic, shallots, herbs, or other vegetables.  And it has a ton of uses.  Most commonly, I’m just tossing with some al dente fettucini for a classic fettuccini alfredo, but I’ll also use it as a sauce for fish, chicken, beef, and veggies.  Give it a try, and hope you enjoy it!

Recipe overview and keys to success:

1. I get questions about the type of cream to use…which is important.  I use what’s commonly called heavy cream, whipping cream, or heavy whipping cream.  Don’t use half and half or milk
2. The type of parmesan cheese you use is important.  The real deal from Italy is the best, as it combines will with the cheese.  Some less expensive, shredded in a bag types I’ve used before tend to melt and club together rather than integrate into the cream
3. The sauce will thicken the more you cook it, so you may end up overreducing and making it too thick.  However, that’s easy to fix…just whisk in a bit more water
4. Finally, cream, when boiled, can actually burn and/or catch of fire.  Keep it on a low simmer, and watch the pot to prevent the cream from boiling over and making a huge mess

• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Salt

• Heat a sauté or sauce pan over medium heat and pour in the cream
• Bring the cream to a simmer, and allow it to reduce by about 1/3.  That should take about 15 – 20 minutes
• Add most of the parmesan cheese and several grinds of the ground black pepper and stir to incorporate
• Taste the sauce.  Because the cheese is fairly salty you may not need to add more, but you can either add the rest of the cheese (which will thicken the sauce a bit more) or add salt to taste
• If the sauce is too thick, add water to thin it, or continue to simmer until it reaches the desired consistency
• Add the fresh chopped parsley, stir, and serve!