I made the recipe as it was originally done and it was pretty much the simplest, quickest thing I have ever made.
You need noodles (I used a simple pack of the "fresh" noodles from the supermarket, it took literally 2 minutes to cook), a block of decent Parmesan cheese that you will shred about a cup of (gotta go with a block that you shred yourself, the pre-shredded doesn't work), and four tablespoons of butter. That's it.
You boil the noodles per the package (it was 2 minutes for the ones I used), then pull them from the water and put them wet in a large bowl with the butter. Add a small amount of the water you boiled the noodles in (like 1/3rd cup or so) and then slowly add in the cheese, mixing it as you go. That's it. You can add more pasta water if you want it saucier, but mix it until the cheese and butter melts into a sauce and you are good to go.
With the fresh noodles, it maybe takes 5 or 6 minutes and was a very tasty and filling meal. Totally worth it.
I have a good heavy cream version that I like to make from scratch and it is really good, but this was so simple and tasty that it is going to be something that I keep on tap for an easy night where I still want something amazing.
Oh this sounds really good! Alfredo sauces are usually a no go for me (I’m lactose intolerant and vegetarian) but Parmesan doesn’t contain too much lactose so this seems perfect.
Seems like the addition of something like peas or asparagus would be extra delicious as well!
Depending how strictly you are vegetarian, many parmesan cheeses (quite a few other cheeses too) use animal rennet. It is something i tend to overlook in my vegetarian diet.
For some reason as I've gotten older I've lost the taste for alfredo sauce. I loved it when I was a kid but now I just much prefer a tomato based sauce. I'm not sure why as I love creamy sauces as well as parmesan. Maybe I need to try making it myself and see.
I think there is something that is generally added to prevent it from sticking together if I remember correctly. You could certainly try it, but grating a cup of parm is not too difficult and it tasty.
Interesting. I buy the "good" pre-shredded parm from the fancy cheese section and it melts pretty well in my depression mac and cheese. I wonder if I just got lucky with the brand they sell where I shop.
Pre shredded cheese is covered in starch or something similar to prevent clumping but also makes it harder to melt into a sauce. It’s still doable but the end texture will probably end up being lumpy
I have been wanting to try this way! I’ve always done the recipes calling for flour cream and milk. Happy to hear yours turned out delicious. Gives me a renewed excitement to try. I may do homemade noodles because I’m not sure I have great noodle options around me.