Creamy Alfredo

Several years ago my sister gave me her recipe for creamy Alfredo sauce. While it does take a bit of patience and especially to cook it on a low heat so that the milk/cream does not curdle, it is well worth the effort.

Pancetta

For this I used some fresh Pancetta- Italian bacon- and fried it up in my cast iron pan. It does not really brown much, so fry it for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

* I also sauteed a can of sliced mushrooms too.

Parmesan Cheese

Fresh Parmesan cheese- I used about 1/2 plus a couple tablespoons of this in the recipe. (honestly did not measure, but used about 1/3 of the carton. Removed from fridge and set aside while I prepared the sauce.

spaghetti pasta noodles

 Organic- gluten free quinoa and brown rice spaghetti. You can use whatever pasta you like. I made about half of this package for a weeks worth of meals for myself.  (approx 5 servings) Boil noodles until done to your likeness- I prefer al dente, not mushy.  Drain and toss with a TBSP of olive oil to keep from sticking.

* I also added 1/3 cup petite peas to the water just at the end and then drained with the rest. 

 I did not take pictures of the beginning. For this recipe, take 6 tablespoons of butter (not margarine) and melt it slowly on low heat in a cast iron pan. (or nonstick, if you prefer.) To this I slowly added 1 1/4 cup of warmed Half and Half*
By slowly I mean a few TBSP's at a time, stirring constantly on LOW heat. This is very important as you do not want this to boil...as it will curdle and ruin your whole dish!  Adding all of half and half took at least 5 minutes or more.






 
(*skim will not work...whole milk, cream, or half and half are what I recommend.)

Now turn off heat and add about 1 tsp of fresh ground pepper, and the Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is completely incorporated/melted.  Pour this over your prepared pasta, add the Pancetta, peas, and mushrooms (if using).  You could also use green beans or asparagus if you want. 

Yum! comfort food! Serve with a tossed salad or garlic toast if you wish.