Parmesan for Alfredo
Parmesan cheese is a key ingredient in this Alfredo sauce. It adds flavor and texture to the sauce, so the kind of cheese you use is important. Like any recipe that calls for shredded cheese, I recommend grating your own from a block. Since pre-shredded cheese is covered in preservatives that prevent it from clumping together in the bag, the best way to avoid that is to shred it yourself. This will not only taste better but melt better as well which is necessary for a smooth, creamy homemade Alfredo sauce. You will be glad you took a few extra minutes to do this.
Adding chicken to this recipe is super simple, and helps stretch the recipe and adds protein. Your family will absolutely love this quick dinner recipe.
Make the fettucini. Salt the water and see my tips below for cooking pasta. Cook the chicken. Season the cutlets with salt and pepper and cook in a hot skillet for approximately four minutes on each side. Remove from the skillet and tent loosely with foil. Make the Alfredo sauce. In the same skillet you cooked the chicken in, melt the butter with the heavy cream. Simmer for 15 minutes to thicken, stirring occasionally. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and add salt and pepper as needed. Put it all together. Toss the fettuccine with sauce. Cut up the chicken and serve on top of the fettuccine. Enjoy immediately.
Though chicken cutlets can be purchased from the butcher counter, I urge you to cut your own. Because chicken breasts are sold so thick these days, one pound of chicken is typically two breasts. Cut them in half (as seen above) and you have four perfectly sized cutlets. Remember that chicken needs to cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. With your chicken cut into cutlets and pounded into even thickness, this will be about five minutes on each side. Your best bet to avoid overcooking the chicken is to use an instant read thermometer.
Bring the water to a raging boil. This means constant big bubbles. Wait to add the pasta before this point to make sure the water is at the correct temperature. Salt the water. This helps to flavor the pasta. Add one to two teaspoons of salt to the water before adding your dry pasta. Stir often. Because fettucini is long and flat, it is known for sticking together. Stir the pasta often with tongs once you add it to the water to help prevent it from sticking together. Follow the directions on the package. Cooking times may vary depending on the brand and type of pasta you are making. Set a timer as soon as you add the noodles to the boiling water.
Heavy cream: I do not recommend using milk. You really need the thickness of the heavy cream to make a creamy thick sauce, and milk will not give you that. Unsalted butter: If you only have salted butter, be sure to taste your sauce before adding any additional salt. Parmesan cheese: See more on grating cheese from a block for this recipe below. Salt and pepper: This really pulls the sauce together at the end so I do recommend playing around with this. Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper as needed.
Storing Leftovers
Because this sauce doesn’t have any flour in it, it will separate when reheated. Because of this, I recommend eating this dish fresh and not reheating any leftovers.
Add broccoli: Make chicken broccoli Alfredo by adding cooked chopped broccoli to the sauce. You can also add raw broccoli florets to the boiling water with the pasta when there are about six minutes of cooking time left. At the end of the pasta cooking time, drain both together and set aside. Use a different pasta. While fettuccini is the pasta most commonly served with Alfredo, truly any noodle will work. Penne, linguini, or spaghetti would also be delicious and soak up the sauce. Use a different protein. Skip the meat altogether or use shrimp or salmon.
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