Your next date night dinner for two at home is ready! This easy Fettuccine Alfredo for Two recipe is made in the microwave, and so you absolutely cannot mess it up!
If you buy jarred Alfredo sauce, I need you to just stop that right now. If you have a microwave, you can make Alfredo sauce. Yes, really! No stove-top cooking required!
You are going to have to cook the pasta on the stove, but even the peas cook inside the pasta water. I couldn’t have made this fettuccine Alfredo for two any easier than it already is!
The secret is: the cheese sticks to the warm pasta, which allows the cream and butter sauce to cling to it, too. No flour or thickeners are needed!
One small caveat about this decadent pasta recipe: you must eat it immediately. I don’t think that’s going to be a problem, but I thought I’d throw it out there, just in case.
Ingredients
- Fettuccine Pasta. Six ounces of dried or fresh fettuccine pasta.
- Heavy Cream. Three-quarters of a cup of heavy cream. Do not substitute half and half for this recipe.
- Butter. Three tablespoons of unsalted butter.
- Parmesan Cheese. Grate 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese fresh from the block.
- Frozen Peas. It’s entirely optional but I love stirring in 3/4 cup of frozen green peas into this easy fettuccine Alfredo recipe.
- Salt and Pepper. You’ll be adding a big pinch of salt to the pasta water, and extra to taste for the Alfredo sauce. I like to sprinkle freshly ground black pepper over the top just before serving.
How to Make Easy Fettuccine Alfredo for Two:
Combine the butter and heavy cream in a microwave-safe dish. Heat in the microwave for 45 seconds or so, until the butter is melted and steaming. Set aside.
Meanwhile, boil a large pot of salted water for pasta. Add the pasta when it’s boiling, and add the peas in the last minute of cooking. Refer to the pasta package for cooking time, as cooking times vary by brand.
Immediately after draining the pasta and peas, stir in the grated Parmesan cheese.
Reheat the butter and cream mixture until steaming in the microwave, pour over hot pasta, toss, and serve.
Scale-Up Option
This easy fettuccine alfredo serves two, because that’s kinda what I do around these parts, but you can scale it up. I’ve scaled it up three times and served it at a dinner party for 6 with sliced steak.
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Total Time
20 minutes
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 3 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 1/2 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 6 ounces Fettuccine Noodles, Linguine noodles work, too
- Salt, To taste
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 3/4 cup Frozen Peas
Instructions
- First, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, in a 2-cup glass measuring cup, add the cream and butter. Pulse in the microwave for 30 seconds each time, until the butter is melted and the mixture is steaming. Set aside.
- Grate your cheese, if you haven’t already.
- Once the pasta water is boiling, add a few big pinches of salt, followed by the noodles. Stir once, and cook according to package directions.
- Just before the pasta is done, stir in the frozen peas and cook for 1 minute.
- Briefly re-heat the cream and butter mixture in the microwave until steaming.
- Drain the pasta and peas, and move it to a serving bowl.
- Add the cheese to the pasta, and toss well to melt.
- Stir the cream and butter mixture on top. Taste, and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 944Total Fat: 58gSaturated Fat: 36gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 168mgSodium: 817mgCarbohydrates: 81gFiber: 6gSugar: 7gProtein: 25g