Fettuccini Alfredo with Chicken

As a kid, fettucini alfredo was maybe my absolute favorite…it was like mac n’ cheese but…sophisticated.  And as you’ll see in this recipe video, my enthusiasm hasn’t diminished over the years.  Fettucini alfredo is one of my go-to dishes when I’m at an Italian restaurant, and I think my version as just as good.  Many people think it’s hard to make, but in reality there are just a few ingredients, two pans, and about 20 minutes of prep time.  In this video, you can watch me make a version with some grilled chicken; but you can easily leave that out, or add any other meat or fish you’d like.

Recipe overview and Keys to Success

Great fettucini alfredo is really not all that hard to make.  It’s a simple dish, there are just a few things you should be aware of:

• Like all pasta dishes, don’t overcook the fettucini.  Cook it to al dente, and have your cream sauce ready when the pasta is cooked – don’t make the pasta wait for the sauce
• The alfredo sauce is simple to make, and the ratio of cheese to cream is not all that important.  However, the starch in the pasta will thicken the sauce, and as it cools, it also thickens.  So you should plan for the sauce to be a bit thinner than you may think when it comes off the flame – knowing it will thicken
• Don’t scramble the egg yolk.  You’ll notice in the video, that I turn off the heat before adding the egg yolk and quickly stir it into the cream & pasta.  If you add it to the boiling sauce you may end up with scrambled eggs

Ingredients for Fettucini Alfredo with Chicken (for 2)

• One chicken breast, grilled and cut into pieces
• 3 quarter pounds of fettucini
• 3/4 pint of heavy cream
• 1 quarter to 1 third  cup of grated parmesan cheese
• Fresh cracked black pepper
• Tablespoon of chopped Italian parsley
• One egg yolk

Making the Fettucini Alfredo

• Add your cream to a sauce pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat
• While your cream reduces, add  the fettucini to a pot of boiling, salted water, and cook to al dente – probably about 10 minutes but follow the package
• Keep your cream at a good simmer (but be careful not to boil, or it may foam up over the pan and burn), and let it reduce slightly
• About a minute before the pasta is ready, add the parmesan cheese to the cream, and several grinds of fresh black pepper; stir to combine
• Note that if your sauce is not reduced enough (it should be just slightly thickened), turn up the heat to reduce it faster; or if over reduced, add a bit more cream or water
• Once the pasta is cooked, remove it from the water and drop into the alfredo sauce and season with salt; I like to do this over high heat
• Add the cut chicken breast and continue to toss the fettucini in the sauce until it is well coated;  then turn the heat to low, or off completely
• Drop in the egg yolk and immediately toss with the pasta to combine
• Again, check the consistency of the sauce, if it seems too tight, you can add some additional cream or pasta water (but be careful of the salt content – as it’s salted water)
• Garnish with the chopped parsley and serve

Hope you enjoy!!  Leave me a comment and let me know how it goes.