FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

In 1927, during their honeymoon in Italy, actors Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks ate a dish that had been invented by Alfredo Di Lelio and served at his restaurant, Alfredo's. The couple was so impressed with their fettuccine alfredo that they returned to offer the chef a golden fork and spoon. Alfredo's original recipe was rich yet basic: pasta tossed with triple-rich butter and Parmesan seasoned with a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper. After the dish was imported to the United States, it slowly became a staple of Italian restaurants nationwide, and today, fettuccine alfredo varies from kitchen to kitchen, as in this recipe created by Eleanora.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Coarse salt
1/4 pound thinly sliced prosciutto, coarsely chopped
2 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, thinly sliced(about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
1 pound best-quality fresh or dry fettuccine
1 tbl.olive oil

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat Add prosciutto, mushrooms, and parsley. Sauté until light golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add heavy cream and cheese. When cheese has melted, add egg yolk. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat.

3. Add fettuccine to boiling water, and cook until al dente, following package directions. Drain pasta, and transfer to a large serving platter. Pour sauce over fettuccine; sprinkle with mushroom-and-prosciutto mixture. Serve immediately.

Variations:

Use a alternate pasta: Malfadine

or

Alfredo Sauce with Ham and Peas

Heat 1 tbl. extra virgin olive oil. Cook 1/4 lb. ham (diced) for few
minutes until crisp. Cook peas as directed from pkg. instructions. Drain.Ladle pasta with alfredo sauce, top with ham and drained peas.

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