When I was younger, I used to eat at Olive Garden a lot. And even though I was the only person at my table (yup, I was one of those loner weirdos), I'd always get Fettuccine Alfredo. I'd usually get it with the Italian Sausage-- but this was back before they added the chicken or Steak Gorgonzola options. Now that I'm poor, and would rather conserve my energy for working tomorrow, I'll make up a quick batch at home. Here's the recipe that I use:
- 1 gallon of water (8 cups)
- 1 pound of chicken breast
- 0.5 to 1 pounds of fettuccine noodles
- 8 oz of broccoli florets
- 1.5 cups of grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup of butter (4 Tbsp)
- 1 Tbsp ground garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground onion powder
- Salt & Pepper
Usually, I'd saute some diced up chicken in a hot pan with olive oil, however, since I've discovered how EPICALLY AWESOME cooking chicken in a crock pot is, I'll start this first thing in the morning, and let it cook all day with some butter, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper with a little bit of water (maybe half a cup).
When it's dinner time, I'll start boiling some water. Add a metric ton of salt. Then when the water comes to a rolling boil, add the noodles, and them cook for about six to eight minutes. I'll drain the the pot, but DO NOT RINSE the noodles. In fact, I usually save a little bit of the pasta water in another bowl-- just in case.
While the noodles are draining, I'll throw more butter, cream, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano into the hot pan and combine. Once that's hot (about two or three minutes), I'll add the Parmesan cheese and noodles. If I need more liquid for any reason, that's why I've got the pasta water reserved.
With the noodles covered with the sauce, it's time to add the chicken. Give it a good toss, then add the broccoli. (Lately, I've been lazy and have been using those Broccoli Steamers. Four minutes in the microwave and it's done! Sometimes I'll add a splash of lemon juice.)
Dish and serve! You could add something green like parsley or spinach leaves, but I'm broke, so this is pretty basic.
Now, did you know that the original recipe for Alfredo Sauce was only pasta water, butter, and cheese?