The real Pasta Alfredo – Italian food curiosities

You will be disappointed when you enter a typical Italian restaurant and you don’t find the world-famous pasta Alfredo.
Nowadays you can find pasta Alfredo in some menus only because of the increasing tourists demand but it doesn’t belong to the Italian culinary tradition, at all.

Why is pasta Alfredo so famous then?

At the beginning of 20th century, Pasta Alfredo was invented by signor Alfredo who run a little Trattoria in la scrofa street, still existing in Rome. He used to prepare a simple dish with fresh pasta, butter and cheese for her pregnant wife. The recipe was so tasty that he decided to add it on the menu.

Two Hollywood stars who were in Rome, tried and loved Alfredo’s specialty. When they got back to the USA they wanted to make the same recipe but didn’t succeed. They added white sauce and other ingredients since they didn’t know how to make it as creamy as the original dish.
Now the american version with cream and chicken is one of the most famous “Italian” pasta in the USA, and many tourists look for the original one when visiting Rome.

The most interesting fact is what happened when this dish became so famous. There are two families in Rome who make the original pasta Alfredo. The first one is the real family of the chef, claiming to have the original recipe. The others are those who bought the Alfredo’s restaurant on la scrofa street. The result is that one plate of pasta with cheese and butter may cost 20 euros in both of these restaurants. It is surely a good dish, but not what you expect.

Our suggestion is to buy some parmesan cheese at the market (best markets of Rome), some fresh pasta and a bit of butter, olive oil and cook it al dente. To make it creamy, put a lot of cheese and a little bit of the boiled water you used to cook your pasta.

Buon appetito!

Don’t forget to read our article about the most famous Italian Food which are actually not Italian.