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Easy Pasta Dinner
If there is one easy last-resort dinner that saves the day over and over again, it has to be a box of pasta. Most of us have it around at all times. And in a pinch you can get a pasta dinner on the table in about 20 minutes.
And sure, of course I sometimes open a jar of sauce, heat that up, make the world’s fastest salad, and call it a night. And that’s fine. But while that’s sustenance, it’s hardly soul-satisfying. Which brings us to this pasta.
Fettuccine Alfredo
This is the pasta my family thinks is the bees knees, the cat’s meow, and several other animal metaphors. If you think we food writers are constantly wrapping paper bands around our souffle ramekins on the average weekday, you would be very wrong. We can also oftentimes be found holding a box of fettuccine and looking puzzled and tired. But I can make this pasta pretty much any night I walk in and think, “oh yeah, dinner….ok, now what hotshot?” I’ve got the pasta, I’ve got the cheese, and I surely have the milk.
You have undoubtedly read intros to recipes that boast that the sauce can be made in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta. This is definitively one of those pastas. But it doesn’t taste easy. It tastes like fettuccine alfredo. Which it is. A touch of garlic, a bit of freshness from chopped parsley, possibly a sprinkle of hot pepper flakes at the end to balance the soft richness of the sauce.
Easy and soul-satisfying, with a sauce that leans on real whole milk for its body and richness.
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Comfort Food Pasta
This is the kind of pasta that causes people to make involuntary happy noises while twirling up forkfuls. This pasta feels special and homey at the same time, which is saying something. The sauce is silky and creamy, thanks to a generous amount of nutrient rich milk, paired with a smaller amount of cream.
It’s nice to know that real milk can create the base for a sauce this lush. I used whole milk in this recipe, and the beautiful thing is that there are so many different types of real milks to choose from. From whole milk to grass-fed to lactose-free, real milk can be a part of all of your family-favorite recipes.
You can also add all sorts of things to this pasta, from small roasted or steamed broccoli florets, to poached shrimp, to diced cooked chicken.
How to Reheat Fettuccine Alfredo
This is best hot right out of the pot, but if you have leftovers you can reheat them. The pasta will definitely thicken up in the fridge, but it should loosen up when you reheat it – if you want to add a few extra tablespoons of whole milk to help thin out the sauce a bit, go for it. Reheat the pasta over low heat, stirring occasionally, or heat it in the microwave in short bursts, stirring in between just until warmed through.
Visit milklife.com/milk-love-whats-real to learn more about the different types of real milk for you and your family.
Other Creamy Pasta Recipes:
- Cheesy White and Green Spinach Lasagna
- Spinach Goat Cheese Baked Pasta with Sunflower Seeds
- Creamy Four-Cheese Pasta
- Fresh Linguine with Shrimp and Peas in a Pink Cream Sauce
- Penne alla Vodka
- Shrimp Alfredo
This is post is in partnership with Milk. Love What’s Real – all opinions are my own.
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Easy Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried fettucine
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup freshly finely grated parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- Red pepper flakes to serve, optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the fettucine according to package directions.
- Meanwhile heat the milk and cream in a saucepan just until warm; don’t let it come to a simmer (you can also do this in a microwave).
- While the milk is heating, melt the butter in large deep skillet over medium heat, then add the garlic cloves and stir for 1 minute, just until you can smell the garlic and it turns golden. Add the flour and stir for about 3 minutes until the flour is well incorporated and the mixture starts to lightly brown. Very slowly pour the warmed milk mixture into the flour mixture, whisking constantly until all of the milk mixture is added, and the sauce is smooth. Bring to a gentle simmer and continue to cook, whisking frequently, until the mixture thickens. Add the parmesan in a few batches, whisking after each addition until the cheese is melted and smooth. Season with salt and pepper, and whisk in the parsley.
- When the pasta is cooked, drain it, and then add it to the skillet with the sauce. Turn off the heat and toss (tongs are good for this), until the pasta is well coated with the sauce. Serve immediately with red pepper flakes, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I would like to add shrimp to this. Can I just sauté a few shrimp in a little butter and add them at the end, after the pasta is added to skillet where the sauce is?
Thank you.
absolutely! delish.
The Fettuccine Alfredo was absolutely divine. Whole family, including Gramma and Grampy, loved it, left nothing for tomorrow…. Thanks!!! xoxoxo