With only 4 ingredients, this Fettuccine with Butter and Cheese is literally going to knock your socks off. Creamy and so incredibly delicious, you’re going to make this over and over again.
Oh my gosh this fettuccine with butter and cheese is amazing!
If I could only eat one pasta for the rest of my life, this might be it.
Parker keeps asking me to make it again and when that happens, you know it’s good.
This recipe brings fettuccine back to its roots. No cream. No eggs. Just Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, butter, fettuccine and salt.
I was pretty skeptical that it could be as good as fettuccine alfredo that is loaded with butter and cream, but it is every bit as delicious. It makes an amazing meal on it’s own with a green salad and some crusty bread, or I love to grill chicken breasts and serve it as a side dish. Anyway you serve it, you’re going to love it.
My niece asked me awhile back what she could make for dinner for her in-laws. She was feeling a wee bit of pressure. I sent her this recipe and got a text from her a few days later that said “Thank you SO MUCH for that recipe!!! Dinner was a hit! Soooo yummy!!!” She is absolutely right, it is sooo yummy!
With only 4 ingredients, it couldn’t be simpler to make and couldn’t be more delicious.
Can I use the stuff that comes in the green can?
As much as I love it, you CANNOT use the grated parmesan cheese in the green can. You need a good quality block/wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano that you grate yourself. It will make all the difference in this dish. For the best results, grate the cheese on the small holes of your grater.
Tips for making fettuccine with butter and cheese:
- Stir the pasta frequently while cooking so that it doesn’t stick together. It’s important to move quickly after draining the pasta, because the residual heat from the reserved cooking water and pasta will help the cheese and butter melt.
- When you add the cheese to the cooked pasta, sprinkle it evenly over the top. If you dump the cheese into the pot in one pile, it tends to clump up and doesn’t get evenly distributed throughout the pasta.
- Make sure you follow the instructions about stirring and covering the pan. Don’t skip that step! It makes a huge difference in how the cheese mixes in and coats all the noodles.
- Like I mentioned above, use a high quality Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. I’ve been lucky enough to have a HUGE wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano straight from Italy sitting in my fridge. Our friends brought it back to us after they spent about 3 weeks in Italy. I’m so sad it’s almost gone! Most grocery stores will have a section with “fancier” cheeses, so you should easily be able to find some there. If you live by a Trader Joe’s, that is also always a great option as well.
Run to the store and buy the ingredients if you don’t already have them on hand and make this ASAP! You can thank me later.
Other pasta recipes you might like:
20-MINUTE PASTA WITH TOMATO & ALMOND PESTO
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Fettuccine with Butter and Cheese
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x
Description
With only 4 ingredients, this Fettuccine with Butter and Cheese is literally going to knock your socks off. Creamy and so incredibly delicious, you’re going to make this over and over again. ♡
Ingredients
- 1 pound fettuccine
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 4 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (2 cups), plus extra for serving
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons butter, cut into 5 pieces
Instructions
- Bring 3 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.
- Sprinkle in the Parmigiano-Reggiano, butter, reserved cooking water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to pot. Set pot over low heat and using tongs, toss and stir really well to thoroughly combine, about 1 minute. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let pasta sit for 1 minute.
- Remove the lid and toss pasta again vigorously for about 45 seconds so the sauce thoroughly coats the pasta and any cheese clumps are emulsified into sauce. (Mixture may look wet at this point, but pasta will absorb excess moisture as it cools slightly.) Season with salt to taste (I also like to add some pepper, but your choice). Serve immediately and sprinkle with extra cheese if desired.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Pasta
Recipe Source: The Best of America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook 2018
Fantastic! I added fresh basil and pine nuts and enjoyed every single bite. I will definatly add this to my weekly recipes. I love how easy it is to make after a long day at work.
Thanks Camille! Great idea to add basil and pine nuts, YUM!
Can I halve this? How much water would I use?
Hi Joy, use half the amount it says, so 1/2 cup. You can always still reserve the full one cup, and use only half and then if you feel like you want the pasta “wetter” you can add more.
How can I reheat this
When I’ve reheated this, I just lightly spray (or splash) some water on the noodles and then reheat it in the microwave at 50% power for a minute or two, or until it’s warm enough. The water moistens up the noodles again and it still tastes delicious reheated.
This is such a wonderful, fantastic recipe! I love the “real” cheese and not the green container cheese. It is so rich and so so good. It has become one of my favorites!
Thank you Eve! We absolutely love this pasta and I agree, the fresh/real cheese is so good! Thanks so much for letting me know!
Delicious….thanks!
I haven’t made yet but looking forward to tomorrow!! Can you make with chicken? What type of chicken do you recommend?
This is delicious on it’s own or I’ve made this and served grilled chicken on the side. I have several yummy grilled chicken recipes/marinades on my site so check them out. Thanks Lindsay!