Brown Butter Fettuccine Alfredo is a rich, comforting twist on a classic pasta favorite. Nutty browned butter blends with a creamy, velvety sauce to coat every strand of fettuccine, creating a simple yet indulgent dish that’s perfect for cozy dinners or an easy restaurant style meal at home.

Prep Time:10minutes mins
Cook Time:15minutes mins
Servings:4 people

Ingredients

• ▢2½ cups uncooked pasta about 500 g/ 3–3½ cups cooked
• ▢1/2 cup butter
• ▢4 cloves garlic chopped
• ▢1/2 cup shallot finely chopped (about 3 shallots)
• ▢1/2 tbsp thyme leaves chopped
• ▢1/2 tbsp rosemary leaves chopped
• ▢1/4 cup white wine
• ▢1 cup freshly grated parmesan
• ▢1/2 cup heavy cream
• ▢2 tbsp pasta cooking water
• ▢Salt and pepper to taste
• ▢1/4 tsp crushed red chilli flakes optional
• ▢Parsley and extra grated parmesan fresh chopped for garnish

Instructions 

• In a large pot of boiling water, add salt and cook the pasta until al dente.
• While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter
• Cook, stirring often, until it melts and begins to brown.
• Reduce the heat, then add the shallot, garlic, rosemary and thyme.

Tip: Cooking on low heat helps you control the butter and prevents it from burning.

• Cook for about 1 minute, until the shallots are tender and the garlic is fragrant.
• Add the white wine and let it reduce for about 2 minutes.
• Add the cream and the grated parmesan, stirring to combine.
• Stir until the parmesan melts and the sauce becomes smooth.
• Add a little pasta water and stir to combine.

Pasta water is added because it contains starch, which helps bind the sauce together and makes it cling to the pasta instead of separating.

• Add the cooked pasta to the sauce.
• Toss until fully coated and the sauce thickens.
• Serve warm, topped with chopped parsley and extra grated parmesan.

Notes

This sauce comes together fast, so have everything ready before you start. Once the butter begins to brown, things move quickly and you don’t want to overcook it.

Don’t rush the butter. Let it go past just melted and into that golden stage. You’ll smell it change before you really see it, and that’s when you know you’re close.

When adding the parmesan, do it gradually and keep stirring. If the heat is too high or you add it all at once, it can turn clumpy instead of smooth.

The sauce will look slightly loose at first, but once you add the pasta and toss it, it thickens and turns silky.

If it ever feels too thick, just add a little more pasta water to loosen it back up.

• Use freshly grated parmesan for the best texture
• Keep the heat low when adding cheese
• Don’t skip the pasta water, it makes a big difference

Taste the sauce before adding the pasta and adjust the salt then. Parmesan already adds salt, so this helps you keep everything balanced.

Nutrition

Calories: 616kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 725mg | Potassium: 296mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1847IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 379mg | Iron: 2mg