Fettuccine Alfredo

This recipe took me years to figure out.  Whenever I would make this, I always felt like something was off.  It was either too dry/congealed, too bland, too salty, noodles were overcooked/undercooked, etc.  It was never quite there.  After improving the recipe little by little over the years, I finally got it to this iteration and it has churned out perfect fettucine alfredo the last 6 times I've made it.


Before I begin, the fettucine alfredo pictured is how "I" like it.  I made this throughout the years and even when it turned out delicious, I always felt it was slightly too dry and congealed too quickly.  It was still great and I feel like a lighter, cleaner version of this is how they eat it in Italy.  Most authentic Italian recipes don't even use heavy cream in the sauce.

That being said, the american in me wanted something ultra creamy and luscious so I adjusted the recipe to accommodate my cravings.  But don't think this is overly heavy or cloying.  It goes down smooth and clean and even after a full plate of this, I feel perfectly light and up for another plate.

This recipe is for freshly made fettuccine from scratch, but you can use dried pasta as well.  Refer to my fresh pasta/noodles recipe to make your own italian pasta from scratch.  I like to roll my fettuccine to setting 4 of my pasta roller.  If making by hand, cut fettuccine 1/4" in width.


ingredients:
for 1 person

1.  1 TBL butter
2.  1 tsp cornstarch
3.  3/4 cup heavy cream
4.  1/4 cup + 2 TBL (plus 1 extra TBL on the side) coarsely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

5.  1/2 egg yolk
6.  1 tsp WHOLE black peppercorns
7.  1 serving of fresh fettuccine noodles

note: - while this recipe may seem like something you should be able to make by eye, I measure EVERYTHING, including the grated cheese, with measuring cups/spoons.  This dish is far more sensitive than you may think.  A difference in a few teaspoons of cheese will noticeably change the flavor of the final dish.


recipe:
1.  Fill large pot with cold water and put over high heat.  After it begins to boil, add in just enough salt so that you can just barely taste it.  Unlike some pasta dishes, you DO NOT want it to taste like salt water, or else the final dish will be too salty.  If you add too much salt, pour out some water and add in fresh water and adjust it until you can just barely taste a hint of salt.  Cover and put over medium low heat.
2.  Take 1 tsp of black peppercorns and place it into the middle of a paper towel.  Fold paper towel in half.  Using a mallet or pestle, gently crush the peppercorns in between the paper towel.  You want the peppercorns to be very coarse, so as soon as the sphere is broken, it is the right size.  Of course you don't want to be biting down and a large sphere of a peppercorn, so make sure each sphere is broken, but try not to grind it past that.
3.  Measure out exactly 1/2 tsp + 1/8 tsp of the very coarse black peppercorns and set aside.
4.  Using a grater, coarsely grate parmesan cheese.  Measure out EXACTLY 1/4 cup + 2 TBL of it and place into a COLD large non-stick pan.  Measure out exactly 1 TBL more of grated parmesan and set aside.
5.  Into the cold pan with the cheese, add in (measured with spoons and cups) 1 TBL of butter, 1 tsp cornstarch, and 3/4 cup of heavy heavy cream.  Place over medium heat and stir constantly until all the cornstarch has been dissolved.
6.  Increase heat to medium high and continue to stir.  As soon it begins to boil, take off heat and mix vigorously for 30 seconds.
note: - Don't walk away from the sauce.  The sauce can curdle and separate if you cook it even 10 seconds too long.
7.  Place pan back onto medium low heat and reduce until it becomes syrupy.  Put on the lowest heat to keep warm.
8.  Increase heat for pasta water to highest heat.  Give the pasta water one more taste.  If too much water has evaporated and it has become slightly too salty, add in a cup or so of fresh water and re-taste.  Adjust until only a hint of salt is tasted.
9.  As soon as pasta water begins to boil, add in 1 serving of fresh fettuccine noodles.  Immediately stir so that the noodles don't stick and clump together.
10.  Place your serving bowl into the microwave and heat for 2 minutes.  The warm bowl will keep the sauce from congealing much longer than a cold bowl.
11.  Cook noodles for a few minutes, then begin to taste.  Taste a noodle, EVERY SINGLE MINUTE, until it gets to 2 minutes before al dente.  Using tongs, immediately take out noodles, allowing excess water to drip back into the pot, then place noodles directly into the sauce.
12.  Sprinkle 1/2 tsp + 1/8 tsp coarse black peppercorns on top of the noodles.
13.  Quickly crack an egg and separate it.  Put 1/2 of an egg yolk directly on top of the noodles.  Immediately stir and mix the noodles, sauce, coarse pepper, and egg yolk until all the yolk has fully mixed in.
14.  Increase heat to medium and cook until sauce thickens slightly.  Taste a bite of a noodle.  If you feel like it needs slightly more salt, add in the 1 TBL grated parmesan cheese you set aside before and mix well.  DON'T add any extra salt.
note: - Every single time I've made this, I always felt it needed slightly more salt, but actually adding salt never seemed to balance it out.  Adding in 1 TBL of cheese at the end solved this problem for me and I ALWAYS end up adding it.
note: - If, for some reason the sauce gets too tight, add a few drops of regular water, not pasta water.  Adding in pasta water to this always seemed to throw everything off, probably having to do with the salt levels again.
15.  Using tongs, pick up noodles and place into the warmed bowl.  If you want more sauce, pick up pan and pour however much sauce you want on top of the noodles.
16.  Serve and eat immediately.