Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo

Steps

1. Bring a large pot of water to a

   boil (how to boil)

   Boil Heat liquid until big bubbles rise and break all over the surface. 1. Use a pot big enough that the water fills it no more than three quarters.2. Cover it to boil faster, over high heat.3. Salt pasta or vegetable water once it boils.4. Add the food, stir, and bring it back to a boil before you start timing. Done when: A rolling boil keeps bubbling hard even when you stir. Safety: Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove, and drain pasta into a colander in the sink, pouring away from you. Steam burns fast: lift lids and foil away from your face, tipping the far edge up first.How to boil water for pasta and vegetables: mistakes to avoid

   and add 1 tablespoon salt.
2. Cook the fettuccine until al dente.
   ⏱ Boil pasta: 10 min
3. While it cooks, melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant but not browned.
   ⏱ Garlic: 1 min
4. Pour in the cream and bring it to a gentle

   simmer (how to simmer)

   Simmer Cook liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles breaking the surface now and then. 1. Bring the liquid up over medium-high heat.2. As soon as bubbles rise steadily, turn the heat down.3. Adjust until only a few small bubbles break the surface every second or two.4. Stir now and then and check that it hasn't crept back to a boil. Done when: You see lazy, small bubbles, not a rolling boil. A "bare" simmer has just a bubble here and there. Safety: Steam burns fast: lift lids and foil away from your face, tipping the far edge up first.How to simmer: mistakes to avoid

   until slightly thickened.
   ⏱ Simmer cream: 3 min
5. Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the fettuccine.
6. Turn the heat under the skillet to low. Add the fettuccine and toss to coat.
7. Sprinkle in the parmesan a handful at a time, tossing constantly so it melts smoothly. Add pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce coats the noodles.
8. Season (how to season to taste)

   Season to taste Add salt (and pepper or acid) bit by bit, tasting as you go, until the food tastes fully of itself. 1. Season meat and vegetables before cooking, holding the salt high so it falls evenly.2. Taste the dish near the end with a clean spoon.3. If it tastes flat, add a pinch of salt, stir and taste again.4. If it tastes heavy or dull, a squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar brightens it.5. Stop when another pinch wouldn't make it better. Done when: The flavors are clear and bright, not flat and not salty. Safety: Don't taste dishes that hold raw meat, poultry or eggs; season them by the recipe's amounts and adjust after cooking.How to season to taste: mistakes to avoid

   with the pepper and nutmeg, sprinkle with parsley and serve right away.

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Tips

• The sauce thickens as it sits. Loosen it with a little pasta water just before serving.
• Grate the cheese yourself. Bagged parmesan has anti-caking powder that keeps it from melting smoothly.

Storage

Best fresh. Refrigerate up to 2 days and reheat over low heat with a splash of milk.

How long leftovers keep, and freezing and reheating: leftovers and storage.