Food - Drink
The Original Alfredo Sauce Was Simpler Than You Might Think
By KALEA MARTIN
Any Italian restaurant in the U.S. has fettuccine Alfredo on the menu, the creamy pasta dish that has been a solid go-to. It might be safe to assume that fettuccine Alfredo is just as common in Italy, where it originated, but the truth is that it's hardly a specialty there.
The American version of Alfredo sauce is typically made with a base of heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and butter. However, the original Italian recipe is much closer to cacio e pepe, and the sauce only requires two ingredients: butter and parmesan cheese.
Alfredo Di Lelio, a restaurant owner, created the original fettuccine Alfredo in 1914. The American press first learned about it through celebrity couple Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, but when American chefs tried to make it, it did not produce the same creamy consistency, requiring the addition of heavy cream.