Thick Goopy Alfredo Sauce
Alfredo Sauce is the famous sauce from a "Fettuccini Alfredo" that I'm sure we all know, love and fantasize about, from time to time (I know I do!). The original dish, popularized around 100 years ago (1914), in Rome, Italy, was incredibly simple. It contained little more than fettuccini pasta, parmesan cheese and butter. Over the years, the dish and the sauce have become common items in restaurants and grocery stores around the world. It has also more commonly evolved to a creamy sauce, very often thickened with flour, instead of cheese.
In most of the restaurants I've worked within, this is how it was done. Start with hot cream, garlic and nutmeg, then whisk in a roux (a cooked mixture of flour and butter). This would thicken the cream. Then, I would add grated parmesan cheese and whisk. This would simmer and gurgle away, until it was the proper thickness. Then, it would get served!
The following recipe goes along the lines of the creamy based sauces, but is thickened by reduction and cheese. I often add a little guar and/or xanthan gums to the grated cheese, just for a little extra thickening, but this is completely optional.
Obviously, this is great with pasta, but it's also great on top of cooked vegetables. One of my personal favorites is a roasted chicken from the store. I'll dip the pieces of roasted chicken into the hot Alfredo sauce. Yum!
In most of the restaurants I've worked within, this is how it was done. Start with hot cream, garlic and nutmeg, then whisk in a roux (a cooked mixture of flour and butter). This would thicken the cream. Then, I would add grated parmesan cheese and whisk. This would simmer and gurgle away, until it was the proper thickness. Then, it would get served!
The following recipe goes along the lines of the creamy based sauces, but is thickened by reduction and cheese. I often add a little guar and/or xanthan gums to the grated cheese, just for a little extra thickening, but this is completely optional.
Obviously, this is great with pasta, but it's also great on top of cooked vegetables. One of my personal favorites is a roasted chicken from the store. I'll dip the pieces of roasted chicken into the hot Alfredo sauce. Yum!
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Total Time25 mins
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 422.26333333333kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups cream heavy whipping
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg freshly ground
- 4 each garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups parmesan cheese grated
- 1/4 tsp guar gum (optional)
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum (optional)
- salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the cream, nutmeg and garlic to a small sauce pan.
- Simmer the cream, over low heat, until it begins to noticeably reduce in volume.
- Optional Step: Guar and/or xanthan gums will help thicken the sauce. You won't need as much cheese, or as much reduction of the sauce, if you thicken it with these no carb thickeners. If you choose to use them, mix them in a bowl with the grated cheese. This will help evenly distribute the thickeners within the cheese.
- Add the cheese to the cream mixture and whisk it in, until it completely melts into a creamy sauce.
- Continue to allow the sauce to simmer, until it is the desired thickness.
- Season with a small amount salt and pepper, then serve!
Nutrition
Serving: 6g | Calories: 422.26333333333kcal | Carbohydrates: 4.7533333333333g | Protein: 14.343333333333g | Fat: 39.06g | Fiber: 0.37333333333333g