As legend has it, around 1914, Roman chef Alfredo Di Lelio combined eggs, butter, and Parmigiano-Reggiano to create the dish that would come to bear his name. Fettuccine Alfredo recipes have since evolved into the cheesy highlight at practically every Italian-American restaurant in the U.S.
Traditionalists will tell you that you only need freshly grated Parmesan cheese, a knob of butter, and, well, fettuccine to make this classic pasta recipe. But for those who want a foolproof dish, each noodle slicked in the lusciously smooth and silky Alfredo sauce, we posit that a little heavy cream never hurt anything. Associate food editor Kendra Vaculin calls it a “sauce insurance policy.” Cream is the perfect medium to emulsify the starchy pasta water with butter and cheese so that everything comes together in a velvety finish with very little work required. Even the cheese is best when “grated” in your food processor or a high-powered blender into granule-sized pieces; no hand grater required.
Of course, like your favorite stop-in spot, you can customize the dish with mix-ins. For chicken Alfredo, lay slices of feta-brined grilled chicken on top. For shrimp Alfredo, toss in a pound of peeled, deveined shrimp just before the final addition of butter. Or blanch some broccoli or asparagus in the salted water before dropping your pasta. Then, reheat the vegetables when tossing the pasta to finish.