Apparently I do not meet your physical and emotional needs as well as Mom does (except for feeding you, of course). I know this because Mom told me so herself. So when we went to the oral surgeon this week for Brad and Cass to have their wisdom teeth extracted at the very same time (Happy Holidays!), Mom insisted that she would somehow try to be in the room with both of them as they were put under anesthesia. They took Cassie first and Mom went with her, but they called Brad just a few minutes later, so I went in with him. Cassie’s surgeon let Mom stay in the room with Cassie while she was going to sleep, but Brad’s surgeon kicked me out before they started the anesthesia. When Mom came out into the waiting room after Cassie went under, I was already there reading a magazine. (Bon Appétit—I ripped out a page with a good-looking recipe (more like guidelines really) for fettuccine Alfredo. Don’t tell anyone.) THAT certainly didn’t enhance my reputation on the physical-and-emotional-need front with Mom, who gave me a horrified look, then went charging back into the surgery area to see if she could be there with Brad while he went to sleep, but it was too late.
We had an interesting ride home with Brad and Cass, who were both very loopy. Brad kept saying he was seeing two of everything and warning me that some truck (or two) was about to hit us. Then they hummed the Duck Song in unison. When it was time for bed, Cassie said she wanted to sleep in her own bed, but Brad decided to sleep downstairs in my bed. So Mom kept an eye on Brad, while Cass was stuck with “the dud parent,” as she put it.
We had an interesting ride home with Brad and Cass, who were both very loopy. Brad kept saying he was seeing two of everything and warning me that some truck (or two) was about to hit us. Then they hummed the Duck Song in unison. When it was time for bed, Cassie said she wanted to sleep in her own bed, but Brad decided to sleep downstairs in my bed. So Mom kept an eye on Brad, while Cass was stuck with “the dud parent,” as she put it.
Here is the dish I found in Bon Appétit while I was shirking my parental duty. This is based on the original Fettuccine Alfredo, using only butter, Parmesan cheese, and pasta cooking water, with no added cream, to make the sauce.
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| Homemade Spelt Pappardelle Alfredo |
Fettuccine Alfredo
I've made this with commercial dried pasta, but it doesn't work as well as homemade or store-bought fresh pasta. If you want to make fettuccine Alfredo with dried pasta, the Cook's Country recipe might be worth trying.
57 grams/2 ounces (½ cup grated mechanically; 1 cup grated on a Microplane) Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
½ teaspoon cornstarch (optional)
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
1 pound fettuccine, preferably homemade or fresh (see note)
57 grams/2 ounces (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
freshly ground black pepper
1. Mix the Parmesan cheese and cornstarch together in a small cup. This helps keep the Parmesan from clumping when you stir it into the hot pasta water, but you can skip this step if you like.
2. Bring 3 quarts of water to a roiling boil in a large stockpot. Add the salt and stir to dissolve. Add the pasta and stir a few times during the first 30 seconds to keep the pasta from sticking. Cook until al dente (only about 1:30 for fresh pasta, depending how thick it is). Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water in a measuring cup.
3. Pour ⅔ cup of the hot cooking water into a 12-inch stainless steel skillet or saute pan set over medium heat (the water should not boil). Whisk in the butter until it's all melted. Whisking constantly, gradually add the Parmesan, making sure it’s completely melted and incorporated before adding more. Add the pasta. Using kitchen tongs, toss well to coat, adding more cooking water if needed, until the sauce blankets the noodles completely. If you're using homemade or fresh pasta, it will absorb the sauce and come together fairly quickly. If you're using commercial pasta and there's a lot of liquid left and the sauce is not coming together, turn the heat up some and continue to toss until you achieve the right consistency. Serve promptly, passing the pepper grinder and more Parmesan cheese at the table. Serves 3.
1 pound fettuccine, preferably homemade or fresh (see note)
57 grams/2 ounces (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
freshly ground black pepper
1. Mix the Parmesan cheese and cornstarch together in a small cup. This helps keep the Parmesan from clumping when you stir it into the hot pasta water, but you can skip this step if you like.
2. Bring 3 quarts of water to a roiling boil in a large stockpot. Add the salt and stir to dissolve. Add the pasta and stir a few times during the first 30 seconds to keep the pasta from sticking. Cook until al dente (only about 1:30 for fresh pasta, depending how thick it is). Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water in a measuring cup.
3. Pour ⅔ cup of the hot cooking water into a 12-inch stainless steel skillet or saute pan set over medium heat (the water should not boil). Whisk in the butter until it's all melted. Whisking constantly, gradually add the Parmesan, making sure it’s completely melted and incorporated before adding more. Add the pasta. Using kitchen tongs, toss well to coat, adding more cooking water if needed, until the sauce blankets the noodles completely. If you're using homemade or fresh pasta, it will absorb the sauce and come together fairly quickly. If you're using commercial pasta and there's a lot of liquid left and the sauce is not coming together, turn the heat up some and continue to toss until you achieve the right consistency. Serve promptly, passing the pepper grinder and more Parmesan cheese at the table. Serves 3.
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