Alfredo Sauce

Method

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1. Melt the butter in a wide, deep frying pan or a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant but not coloured.

   Mark done Start 1 min timer

2. Pour in the cream and add the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Raise the heat to medium and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until the cream has thickened slightly and coats the back of a spoon.

   Mark done Start 5 min timer

3. Take the pan off the heat and let it settle for 30 seconds. Add the Parmesan a handful at a time, whisking after each addition, until it has melted and the sauce is smooth.

   Mark done Start 30 sec timer

4. Whisk in 4 tablespoons of the pasta water. The sauce should be pourable and glossy. Add more water a spoonful at a time if it is too thick.

   Mark done

5. Toss at once with 400 g of hot, drained fettuccine cooked in well-salted water until al dente, or spoon it over chicken, broccoli or gnocchi. Serve with more Parmesan on top.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Grate the Parmesan yourself on the fine side of the grater. Pre-grated cheese is coated to stop it clumping, and it stops it melting smoothly too.
• Take the pan off the heat before the cheese goes in. Cheese added to boiling cream clumps and turns grainy.
• Loosen the sauce with pasta water and not more cream. The starch in the water helps the sauce cling to the pasta instead of pooling on the plate.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Double cream won't whip if you swap it, but for the cooking itself, full-fat crème fraîche or a lower-fat single cream works in its place.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Fettuccine
• Pan-seared chicken
• Steamed broccoli

Storage & Reheating

Best eaten at once. Keep leftover sauce in the fridge up to 3 days and reheat gently with a splash of milk, stirring, so that it does not split. It does not freeze well.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.