🍝 Penne Alfredo
Penne Alfredo is penne tossed in a rich, creamy sauce of butter, parmesan and cream. The sauce clings to the ridges of the pasta and has a mild, nutty, cheesy flavour. It is served hot, often finished with black pepper and extra grated parmesan, and is a staple of Italian-American restaurants.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 360 g penne
- 40 g butter
- 200 ml cooking cream
- 80 g parmesan, finely grated
- Black pepper, salt
- Pinch of nutmeg (optional)
Method
- Cook the penne in salted water until al dente; keep a cup of pasta water.
- Melt the butter in a wide pan, add the cream and warm it gently for 2 minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the parmesan until smooth.
- Add the drained penne and toss, loosening with pasta water if needed.
- Season with pepper and serve at once.
How to make it lighter
- Halve the butter and cream and loosen the sauce with starchy pasta water.
- Keep cheese to about 15 g per plate — parmesan is strong, so a little goes far.
- Serve a smaller pasta portion with a big side salad or roasted vegetables.
History
The original fettuccine Alfredo is usually credited to the Roman restaurateur Alfredo Di Lelio in the early 20th century, made with butter and parmesan only. The cream version and its use with other shapes like penne developed mainly in the United States, where the dish is far more common than in Italy.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →