Fettuccine Alfredo

Dinner | Italian

Prep time: 5 min Cook time: 10 min Servings: 4

This is the American style of fettuccine alfredo which is a rich, comforting pasta dish made with garlic, white wine, cream, loads of parmesan and I’m adding crispy bacon to mine. Ready in under 20 minutes, it’s perfect for an easy weeknight dinner when you’re craving a creamy pasta. It’s rich, indulgent and reminds me of growing up in the 90s in New Zealand.

The Original

The Roman original, fettuccine al burro, uses hot pasta, cold butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano tossed until the starch in the pasta water emulsifies everything into a glossy coating. No cream, no garlic.

But we're not making the original here, we're making the richer, creamier Amercian style with cream and bacon. Cream gives the sauce a fat base to form around, and the garlic and thyme add layers the Roman original doesn’t need but this one benefits from. We're using streaky bacon rather than back bacon because the high fat ratio renders into the pan and creates the cooking fat for everything that follows.

The importance of pasta water

The pasta water is the element most home cooks skip, and it’s what separates a sauce that coats the pasta evenly from one that pools at the bottom of the bowl. When pasta cooks in heavily salted water it releases starch into the liquid. A ladle of that starchy water added to the cream sauce when the pasta goes in acts as an emulsifier, binding everything together into a sauce that clings to every strand. Reserve the water before draining.

Ingredient Notes

Parmigiano-Reggiano: Quality matters here. The real thing has a crystalline texture and a sharp, nutty flavour that generic parmesan doesn’t match. I'm not a fan of pre-grated parmesan from a container as I find it can make the sauce grainy. Always grate fresh off the block, using a fine grater so it incorporates quickly.

Streaky bacon: The fat content in streaky bacon is what we want. As it renders, the fat creates the cooking base for the garlic and thyme. Back bacon is too lean and won’t give you the same result. Pancetta is a good substitute and gives a slightly more Italian character to the dish.

Dry white wine: The wine deglazes the pan after the bacon and garlic, lifting the fond off the base. The alcohol cooks off in about 30 seconds of simmering. If you don’t have white wine, use a splash of the pasta cooking water instead and it will still work.

Equipment

Chopping board
Chef’s knife
Large pot (for pasta)
Large frying pan
Fine grater

Ingredients

500g fettucine
1 tbsp olive oil
250g bacon, sliced around 1cm thick
4 cloves garlic, crushed and roughly chopped
4 thyme sprigs, leaves picked and finely chopped
2 tbsp dry white wine
300ml cream
100g parmesan cheese, grated, plus extra to serve
flat leaf parsley, chopped, to serve
sea salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Place a large pot of salted water on to boil to cook the pasta. Cook pasta according to packet directions, until al dente.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
Cook bacon for 5 minutes, until the fat is rendered and it’s starting to crisp up.
Add garlic and thyme, season with salt and cook for another few minutes. Make sure you stir from time to time as you don’t want the garlic to burn and go bitter.
Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, bring to a simmer and allow to reduce by half.
Stir in the cream and bring to a simmer, cook until reduced by ¼. Stir in some salt, fine ground black pepper and the parmesan cheese.
Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the cooking water. Add pasta to the sauce and toss to combine, adding a little of the water if needed. As you’re combining the pasta and sauce, if it does get a little bit dry just add in some more pasta water.
Plate your pasta, add some extra sauce on top with some finely sliced parsley and extra grated parmesan. Enjoy!

Recipe notes

Chef Tips

Reserve pasta water before you drain

This is easy to forget when you’re moving quickly. The starchy pasta water is what emulsifies the cream sauce and makes it cling to the pasta. Once the pasta is in the colander, that water is gone. Keep a ladle or cup next to the pot as a reminder and scoop it out just before draining. You won’t need more than half a cup, but you do need some.

Don’t let the garlic darken

Garlic that’s gone too far tastes bitter and that bitterness carries through the whole dish. After the bacon has rendered and the pan has fat in it, add the garlic and thyme over medium heat. Keep it moving and watch it closely. You want it fragrant and just starting to turn golden at the edges, not brown all over.

Storage

Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a pan over low heat with a splash of cream or milk to loosen the sauce, as it thickens significantly when cold. This dish doesn’t freeze well as the cream sauce splits when defrosted.

Traditional recipe

This is a modern take, if you want to try the authentic Roman version, skip the cream and bacon. Just toss hot fettuccine with plenty of butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano, using pasta water to make it silky.

FAQs

Can I skip the wine? Yes. Replace it with an equal splash of the pasta cooking water. You’ll lose a little of the acidity and depth the wine adds when it reduces, but the dish will still work. A small squeeze of lemon juice added at the end gives some of that brightness back.

Can I make it vegetarian? Yes. Skip the bacon entirely. You’ll lose the rendered fat, so add an extra tablespoon of olive oil or butter to the pan before the garlic and thyme go in. Sautéed mushrooms are a good addition and add a savoury, earthy note that the bacon would have provided.

What pasta shapes work? Fettuccine is traditional because the wide, flat strands hold a rich cream sauce well. Tagliatelle and pappardelle work similarly. Penne and rigatoni are fine if that’s what you have. Avoid very thin pastas like angel hair as the sauce is too heavy for them.