Christmas fettuccine alfredo
The most comforting, creamy pasta dish to bundle yourself up on the sofa with! Christmas fettuccine is a form of fettuccine alfredo: a decadent mix of butter, garlic, parmesan cheese and double cream. The Christmas element comes in the form of gentle spicing: a sprinkle of nutmeg and a good grind of black pepper.
This is such a simple recipe, with a handful of ingredients, and is a welcome break from the traditional Christmas flavours. The inspiration comes from ‘The Holiday’ - my all time favourite Christmas movie. My husband won me over when we were dating by dropping a hand wrapped DVD (those were the days) on my doorstep on Christmas Eve after learning I’d never seen the whole film before. What a guy! I’ve been hooked on the film ever since, and whilst there are several foodie elements, it has always been that soul-nourishing Christmas Fettuccine that stood out to me - so i’ve made my own version.
It is a beautifully simple recipe that doesn’t require a lot of ingredients, but there are a few pitfalls so here are some of my top tips:
Freshly grated parmesan
In order for hard cheese to melt effortlessly into your cream sauce, make sure it is freshly grated. Use a good quality grater to make it super fine, I’m a microplane grater evangelist- you won’t find better! They are great for mincing the garlic and grating the nutmeg too.
Keep the pasta water
The water that your pasta cooks in is full of starch and is the secret to getting the perfect consistency in your sauce. Save a small jugful when you drain and add to the dish at the end as you toss.
Serve immediately
This dish isn’t one that will hang around, as the sauce will congeal and turn lumps. You can always pull it back by quickly reheating with a splash of pasta water, but your best bet is to serve immediately. It smells so good, you won’t be able to wait anyway!
Christmas Fettuccine
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 tsp salt
225g dried fettuccine pasta
45g butter
1 clove garlic, finely grated
150ml double cream
100g parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Method:
Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add the salt. Once boiling, add the fettuccine pasta and cook according to packet instructions.
Melt the butter over a medium heat in a large frying pan or chefs pan (I recommend Meyer pans - the best non-stick!), then add the garlic and cook for a few minutes. You want to cook out the harsh flavours but not colour it.
Pour in the double cream and mix well to combine with the butter. Once bubbling, sprinkle over the parmesan cheese and leave for a minute to melt WITHOUT stirring. Once beginning to melt, mix it into the sauce. Season with nutmeg and black pepper.
Drain the pasta, and reserve a small jug of starchy pasta water. Add the pasta straight into the frying pan with the sauce and toss quickly to combine. Add a few tablespoons of the pasta water to loosen the sauce, then divide between two bowls and garnish with parmesan and nutmeg before serving immediately.
