Alfredo Sauce

Ingredient / Original
Recipe
Serves 4 / Conversion
Serves ___ / Comments
Margarine (Trans Fat Free) or Butter / 1 T. (Tablespoon)
Minced Garlic / 2 cloves
Flour / 1 T. (Tablespoon)
Skim or Fat Free Milk / 1 C. (cup)
Fat Free or Non Fat Cream Cheese / ¼ C. (cup)
Grated Asiago or Parmesan Cheese / ¼ C. (cup)
Steamed Broccoli florets / 1 C. (cup)

Special Equipment – Plastic Whisk, Paring knife, grater or food processor

Be sure you remember to

·  Mince the garlic

·  Grate the cheese

·  Steam the broccoli

·  Prepare the pasta

Additional Steps

  1. Melt margarine or butter in non stick saucepan and sauté the minced garlic for about 30 seconds
  2. Whisk in flour and milk.
  3. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thick (about 2 min)
  4. Whisk in cream cheese and asiago or parmesan cheese.
  5. Cook on how heat, stirring until smooth (about 2 min)
  6. Gently stir in the steamed broccoli.
  7. Serve with pasta, additional fruit or vegetable and a healthy beverage.

Healthy or Not??

¼ of original recipe + 1 oz or ½ cup of cooked pasta = 276 calories and contains 250 mg of sodium

(Recipe adapted from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook)

Fettuccine alfredo refers to a pasta dish made from fettuccine pasta tossed with Parmesan cheese, butter, and heavy cream. As the cheese melts, it thickens the liquids to form a smooth and rich coating on the pasta. Although it was named by an Italian restaurateur, at his restaurant Alfredo alla Scrofa in Rome, it is soley an American dish, essentially the same as the Italian dish, Fettuccine al burro e panna, meaning fettuccine with butter and cream. In Italy, the name 'Alfredo' is rarely used and the sauce is never named or prepared separately from the dish. In American cuisine, it is often mixed with other ingredients such as parsley, garlic, shrimp and chicken.

History –

The restaurant's story is that the dish was invented by di Lelio at his restaurant Alfredo alla Scrofa in 1914 as a variation of fettuccine al burro. When butter was added both before and after fettuccine was put in the serving bowl, the butter was known as doppio burro (double butter). Di Lelio's original contribution was to double the amount of butter in the bowl before the fettuccine would be poured in, thus a triplo burro (triple butter) effect instead of double, which he started doing for his pregnant wife, who was having difficulty keeping food down. When his wife began eating again, Alfredo added the new dish to his restaurant's menu.

According to an article in the New York Times (written by a long-time customer in the early 1980's) di Lelio's restaurant became famous when Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks stopped into his restaurant and fell in love with the dish while on their honeymoon in 1927. To express their gratitude, they gave him a golden fork and spoon along with a photo of them eating in his restaurant. He proudly displayed the photo on the wall of his small restaurant. When Pickford and Fairbanks returned to Hollywood, they served his dish to their friends and associates. Word about that new meal quickly spread.

Alfredo di Lelio finally retired in 1938 and sold his restaurant, photos and all, to Mario Mozzetti's grandfather. He kept the restaurant's name, menu, and everything else. That restaurant is still in business today, run by Mario Mozzetti.

When Rome prepared for a large religious celebration in 1959, some local businessmen tracked down Alfredo di Lelio and offered to build him a new restaurant. He was retired, but he agreed to show up and act as a greeter there. When the religious holiday arrived, old customers showed up and had their photos taken for the walls of the "new" restaurant located at 30 Piazza Augusto Imperatore, a few blocks north of his original location.

That expansion continued in 1977 when Alfredo II and Guido Bellanca opened a new "Alfredo's" by Rockefeller Center in New York City to serve it. The walls of that restaurant are plastered with drawings by Al Hirschfeld - including the rest rooms. Another Alfredo's opened in the Epcot Park in Lake Buena Vista. As of September, the Epcot branch is closed.

Despite the story, references to Fettuccine alfredo in American books and newspapers are sparse until about 1980. Fettuccine Alfredo has now become ubiquitous in Italian-American restaurants in the United States, though in Italy, it is mostly served to American tourists.

Variations - There are many modifications to the basic Fettuccine Alfredo which are used to lower the cost and consequently the quality. Cheaper cheeses, such as U.S.-made Parmesan cheese instead of Parmigiano-Reggiano, are often used; the cheese is sometimes mixed with flour as a thickener. Occasionally, other cheeses such as Asiago and Romano may be added to alter the flavor.In order to make it a single-dish meal, chicken and vegetables are often served on top. Another variation uses egg in combination with cream, butter and cheese.

Alfredo sauce - Alfredo sauce is often sold as a convenience food in many grocery stores in the United States. Unlike the original preparation, which is thickened only by cheese, pre-prepared versions are thickened with starch. They tend to be very high in calories, sodium, and saturated fats.

(Most of the above is from wikipedia.com)