Fettuccine

QUICK LOOK
Prep: 2 minutes
Stove-top: 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 17 minutes
Yield: 7 cups

INGREDIENTS

  • 16 ounces fettuccine
  • 1 Tablespoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 2 teaspoons flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Dash nutmeg
  • 1 cup half & half OR heavy cream (reserve a small amount)
  • ¼ cup pasta cooking water (see step 7 below)
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese

PASTA STEPS

  1. FILL a medium-size pot 3/4 full of cold water. Cover the pot and bring the water to a rapid boil over high heat. Use the small burner if necessary so the large burner can be used for the sauce.
  2. ADD 1 Tablespoon of salt to the water.
  3.  BREAK pasta in half , if desired, and add it to the pot. Keep the burner on high to quickly return the water to a fast boil. 
  4. STIR noodles frequently, about 2 minutes, to prevent sticking.
  5. BEGIN the sauce, stirring the pasta occasionally. 
  6. COOK the pasta about 12 minutes, or until almost tender.
  7. CAREFULLY dip out some pasta water from the pan. Pour out excess to measure 1/4 cup.
  8. REMOVE the pasta from the heat. 
  9. DRAIN the pasta but DO NOT rinse.

SAUCE STEPS

  1. MEASURE flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder and nutmeg into a small bowl or measuring cup.
  2. HEAT butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until melted and foaming.
  3. WHISK the dry ingredients into the butter.
  4. ADD almost all the half-and-half or cream to the butter mixture.  Stir until the sauce is smooth and boiling. 
  5. STIR in the cheese.
  6. REMOVE sauce from the burner and set aside.
  7. FRESHEN the sauce.  Stir the reserved half & half or cream in the sauce and 1/4 cup of pasta water. 
  8. POUR the pasta into the pan with the sauce and use tongs to combine.
  9. SERVE on a warm plate (microwave for 1 minute) or in a warm bowl.
  10. Confidence gained!
  • Stir the rapidly boiling pasta for 2 minutes
  • Add dry ingredients to the melted butter
  • Pour in cheese just after the 1/2&1/2 or cream bubbles
  • Stir, set the mixture aside–the residual heat will melt the cheese.
  • Carefully dip out some pasta water
  • Freshen sauce with pasta water and reserved cream or 1/2&1/2
  • Stir sauce until smooth
  • Pour drained and un-rinsed pasta on the sauce
  • Combine pasta and sauce
Freeze yo cheese! Parmesan cheese from Costco comes in a 2.5 pound bag. Divide the cheese into 1-cup portions in sandwich bags. You’ll get about 13 small bags of cheese. Tuck the sandwich bags back into the cheese bag or a freezer zip bag. Freeze. When it is time to use the cheese for a recipe, a quick whack with the meat pounder breaks the cheese up.