Martha's 3-Ingredient Fettuccine Alfredo

Ingredients

• 2 sticks butter (room temperature)
• 0.5 lb Parmesan cheese (grated, plus more for serving)
• coarse salt (for pasta water and seasoning)
• freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• 1 lb fettuccine

Steps

1. 1

   Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat the room-temperature butter and grated Parmesan cheese together until creamy and uniform. Season with a pinch of pepper.

2. 2

   Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a generous amount of salt.

3. 3

   Cook the fettuccine in the boiling salted water according to package instructions until al dente, which should take about 12 minutes.

4. 4

   Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water.

5. 5

   Drain the pasta and immediately add the hot fettuccine to the mixer bowl with the cheese and butter mixture.

6. 6

   Toss the pasta with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. The heat from the pasta and the water will melt the butter-cheese paste into a silky sauce.

7. 7

   Add more pasta water as needed to reach your desired consistency. Serve immediately with additional cheese.

Notes

To keep the dish warm while serving, fill your serving bowl with very hot tap water, then drain and wipe it dry just before transferring the sauced noodles. This recipe is best eaten immediately as the sauce can thicken as it cools. Pair with a bright, bitter salad like radicchio or endive to balance the richness.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• pasta
• vegetarian
• classic
• dinner
• 3-ingredient
• boiled