by Natasha Sheldon

Created on: September 15, 2008   Last Updated: November 30, 2010

Cream, parmesan and chicken marry together in this recipe to create a simple but decadent sauce to serve with fettuccine.

Its basis is the recipe for Pasta Alfredo, a simple but delicious dish invented in 1914 by a roman restaurateur Alfredo di Lelio. Alfredo’s version, invented to tempt back the appetite of his pregnant wife, was a simple combination of butter, good parmesan and lots of butter served with paper thin ribbons of fettucine. This embellished dish includes chicken and double cream too.

This makes is an absolute no no for dieters. But it is a meal that is guaranteed to stimulate the appetite of everyone, whether or not they are pregnant!

Ingredients

2 skinless cooked chicken breasts, shredded.

50g/20z butter.

299ml/7 fl oz double cream.

50g/2oz freshly grated parmesan cheese (plus extra for garnishing). Choose a good brand. Don’t buy ready grated!

350g/12oz fresh/ dried fettuccine.

Salt and black pepper

Method.

Melt the butter gently in a large pan. Once it is liquid and just foaming, add the cream and gently bring up to a simmer.

Cook the cream and butter mixture for five minutes before adding the cheese and seasoning. Immediately turn off the heat and mix well so that the cheese melts and combines with the cream mixture without the risk of burning. Set to one side.

Cook the pasta until al dente. Whilst it is draining, reheat the sauce on a low heat. Now add the shredded, cooked chicken.

Warm the chicken through in the sauce before adding the cooked, drained fettucine. Stir well to ensure that the pasta is well coated with the sauce and that the chicken is evenly distributed.

 Serve the dish straight away with more freshly grated parmesan sprinkled on top. And if you are feeling guilty, accompany with a green side salad.

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