Simple Alfredo Sauce

Alfredo is one of my favourite American sauces of all time. It’s definitely not a light sauce, which means creamy, comforting deliciousness.

After a (shorter than yesterday’s!) day of classes and gallivanting downtown enjoying good company, eats,

pictures in front of the random mosaic mural (the giant winter coat a tribute to the less-enjoyable freezing temperature outdoors),

I prepared dinner tonight for myself, the siblings and the boy: salads, baked chicken, steamed carrots and papparadelle with Alfredo. So simple, yet so good. Cheese, cream, shallots and garlic fried in butter – basically, all the good things in life – jazzed up with fresh cracked pepper and nutmeg. Half an hour for an impressive-looking meal? I’ll take it! 😀

I adapted a basic the Pioneer Woman’s Alfredo sauce recipe, adding in the onions and garlic and spices for flavour and replacing part of the whipping cream with half-and-half (because it’s what I had on hand and makes the sauce just a little bit thinner and lighter). The result was just as decadent as the original, and the result coated pasta perfectly while making an excellent topper for chicken and veggies.

Because clearly, serving Alfredo on top of veggies negates the fat content. 😉 In all honesty, I belong to the camp of people that firmly believes saturated fat intake is not correlated to heart disease. All the research I’ve done thus far and my learnings in physiology have led me to believe that a diet high in fat (yes, even/especially saturated fats) is actually beneficial. My silky hair and strong nails both agree. 

Anyways, not the day to wax poetic about my dietary beliefs. Basically, don’t fear the fat! Alfredo is good for the soul, in any case. 🙂

Simple Alfredo Sauce (adapted from The Pioneer Woman)
Serves 4; yields approx. 1 1/2 cups of sauce

Ingredients

– 1/4 cup butter
– 1 shallot
– 1 large clove of garlic
– 1/2 cup half-and-half cream
– 1/4 cup heavy cream
– 1 + 1/4 cups fresh grated parmesan cheese
– 1/2 tsp nutmeg
– Salt and pepper, to taste
– Fresh parsley (optional, as garlic)

To Make:

1. Melt butter in a flat-bottomed pan. Finely mince shallot and garlic; add to butter and sautée until softened and fragrant.
2. Add cream and heat through. Add cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
3. When ready to serve, add fresh chopped parsley, if using. Toss with pasta, serve on top of veggies or chicken, use as a pizza sauce base.

Voilà! Indulgent, versatile, easy and impressive dinner. Make it for someone you love! 😉