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Fettuccine Alfredo for Two
Fettuccine Alfredo for Two is the easiest date night recipe around, yet it still feels luxurious and indulgent. This version has garlic in the sauce and is super customizable with add-ins. It says ‘I love you’ in the most delicious way possible.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 8 oz. fettuccine noodles (high quality recommended)
- 5 TBSP unsalted butter, divided
- 6–8 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup half-and-half, room temperature*
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, more or less to taste
- 1/4–1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water, more depending on the sauce
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a large stockpot with water and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and add fettuccine noodles, cooking a few minutes under package directions.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter on low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently so it doesn’t burn. Keep the heat low!
- Increase the heat to medium and whisk in the half-and-half; add half of the salt and pepper. Simmer for 1-2 minutes, then add 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes until slightly reduced.
- Add the grated parmesan cheese and the remaining butter, whisking until smooth and combined. Test the sauce for salt levels, adding more as needed.
- Add the pasta into the sauce and toss to combine. Let the pasta simmer for 1-2 minutes until al dente. If the sauce is too thick (which may be the case especially if you used heavy cream), add additional pasta water 1-2 tablespoons at a time to loosen, stirring between each addition.
- Serve immediately. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley as desired.
Notes
Forgot to take your half-and-half out of the fridge when you started cooking? Put it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. You want it to be lukewarm/room temperature so it doesn’t shock up when you put it in the skillet.
Reheating? I don’t recommend it, but if you need to, I recommend reserving a bit of the pasta water and reheating it with 2-4 tablespoons of the pasta water on the stove over low-medium heat until heated through and the sauce has loosened.
Possible add-ins: chicken, shrimp, or broccoli. See the blog post for more ideas!
Keywords: easy, date night, quick, 20 minute, recipe for two, vegetarian, pasta
Find it online: https://www.forkinthekitchen.com/fettuccine-alfredo-for-two/
