Fettuccine is the popular kid in class when it comes to the pasta world. One of the oldest pastas on the Italian menu, the origin of fettuccine is cloudy. It’s available in almost every region of Italy. Cut and laid flat on a sheet, fettuccine is the first of its kind in the family of ribbon pastas. Fettuccine Alfredo is one of the most popular modern American-Italian dishes. The legend of how Fettucine Alfredo came to America is another great Italian folklore. In Rome, an Italian restauranteur, Alfredo di Lelio, made a dish for his wife who had an upset stomach and nausea during the carriage of their second child. Alfredo made his wife a dish of fresh fettuccine in blanco or white sauce that consisted of cream, butter and Parmesan cheese. His wife’s stomach aches ceased, and she craved the dish ever since. Alfredo added it to the menu of his restaurant immediately.
While on vacation, America’s two most famous silent film movie stars, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, stopped in at Alfredo’s restaurant in Villa della Scrofa in Rome. After eating Alfredo’s blanco pasta recipe, the two requested he send them the recipe for the dish. Along with the request, Mary and Douglas sent Alfredo an engraved golden spoon and fork that read “to Alfredo the Noodle King”. After the original Alfredo sold the restaurant to his son, they soon opened up several restaurants in the New York that glamourized the “original alfredo sauce”.
If you’re looking to make a traditional Italian dish for your guests, sad to say this dish is only popular in America. The only part of Italy you’ll find Fettuccine Alfredo is in Rome where two restaurants that claim to be the originator of the dish clash against one another for tourist dollars. If you’re looking to bring home this dish, try our Egg Fettucine Homestyle Pasta for simply the most authentic and quality tasting pasta.