Eleanora Scarpettas Fettuccine Alfredo Recipes

FRESH PASTA FOR ELEANORA SCARPETTA'S FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

Steps:

• Mound flour in the center of a work surface, forming a well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well. Add oil and salt.
• Beat eggs with a fork until smooth. Gradually work flour into the eggs.
• Use a bench scraper to work in the rest of the flour, a bit at a time.
• Once all the flour has been incorporated, start working the dough with your hands to form a rounded mass for kneading. Be sure the work surface is clean of all loose bits of dough; lightly dust with flour. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
• Cover the dough with an inverted bowl or plastic wrap; allow to rest 1 1/2 hours, or chill overnight.
• Divide dough into large walnut-size pieces. Quickly knead and flatten each portion of dough into a disc; very lightly dust with flour. Feed through a pasta machine set at the machine's widest setting. (If pasta pulls or tears when passing through machine, simply sprinkle a little more flour over the dough, just before it's fed, to keep it from sticking. When finished, remove excess flour with a dry brush.) As the pasta sheet emerges, gently support it with your palm and guide it onto work surface. Fold the sheet lengthwise into thirds. Repeat sequence twice on the same setting to smooth dough and increase its elasticity. Thin the dough by passing it through even finer settings, one pass on each setting from widest to narrowest (machine settings differ -- some have as many as 10, others only six). Repeat with remaining dough.
• Pass each portion of dough through cutting blade for desire thickness. To cut by hand; lightly fold sheets one at a time into thirds. Cut with a sharp knife into desired thickness.

FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

Steps:

• Cook the fettuccine in a pot of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. Drain in a colander, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.
• While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and saute until tender. Add heavy cream and bring to a boil. Cook until sauce has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Return the pasta to the pot it was cooked in, set over medium-high heat along with the reserved cooking liquid. Add the butter-cream mixture and half of the Parmesan and toss to combine thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.

ELEANORA SCARPETTA'S FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add prosciutto, mushrooms, and parsley. Saute until light golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add heavy cream and cheese. When cheese is melted, add egg yolk. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat.
• Add fettuccine to boiling water and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Drain pasta and transfer to a large serving platter. Pour sauce over fettuccine; sprinkle with mushroom and prosciutto mixture. Serve immediately.

CHICKEN FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and salt generously. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente (tender but still slightly firm). Drain and toss with a splash of oil.
• Meanwhile, slice the chicken into 1/4-inch-thick strips, and lay them on a plate or a sheet of waxed paper. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter. When the butter melts, raise the heat to medium-high and add the chicken in 1 layer. Cook, without moving the pieces, until the underside has browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the pieces, and cook until browned and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a medium bowl.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons butter. Scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits. When the butter has mostly melted, whisk in the cream and nutmeg and bring to a simmer, then cook for 2 minutes. Lower the heat to keep the sauce just warm.
• Whisk the Parmigiano-Reggiano into the sauce. Add the chicken and cooked pasta and toss well. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot in heated bowls.

TO DIE FOR FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fettuccini and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• In a large saucepan, melt butter into cream over low heat. Add salt, pepper and garlic salt. Stir in cheese over medium heat until melted; this will thicken the sauce.
• Add pasta to sauce. Use enough of the pasta so that all of the sauce is used and the pasta is thoroughly coated. Serve immediately.

ELAINE'S FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

Steps:

• Bring 6 quarts generously salted water to a boil.
• While the water heats, melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; saute until fragrant and sizzling, about 2 minutes. Whisk the cream with the egg yolk in a bowl until blended; pour into the garlic butter. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir until hot but not boiling. Keep warm over low heat.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta, partially covered, until al dente. (The pasta will float when it's done.) Drain in a colander, shaking out excess water, but reserve a little cooking water. Pour hot pasta into the cream mixture and toss to coat (still over low heat). Add the cheese and keep tossing gently until cream is mostly absorbed. Season with salt and pepper. If sauce is absorbed too much, toss with a little pasta water. Serve in warm bowls.

FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, stir the clotted cream, butter and cornflour over a low-ish heat and bring to a low simmer. Turn off the heat and keep warm.
• Meanwhile, put the cheese and nutmeg in a small bowl and add a good grinding of black pepper, then stir everything together (don't add any salt at this stage).
• Put the pasta in another pan with 2 tsp salt, pour over some boiling water and cook following pack instructions (usually 3-4 mins). When cooked, scoop some of the cooking water into a heatproof jug or mug and drain the pasta, but not too thoroughly.
• Add the pasta to the pan with the clotted cream mixture, then sprinkle over the cheese and gently fold everything together over a low heat using a rubber spatula. When combined, splash in 3 tbsp of the cooking water. At first, the pasta will look wet and sloppy: keep stirring until the water is absorbed and the sauce is glossy. Check the seasoning before transferring to heated bowls. Sprinkle over some chives or parsley, then serve immediately.