Little Luxuries
a no-cream fettuccine alfredo; lemon blueberry pancakes
Hi friends,
After a long weekend, I’m always looking for simple recipes to ease back into the week, like this 4-ingredient fettuccine alfredo or these soft and fluffy lemon blueberry pancakes.
Though quick and pantry-friendly, both dishes feel elevated. Fresh pasta, tossed with butter and grated cheese, transforms into a creamy, velvety sauce — no heavy cream needed! And while no one ever really says no to pancakes, a handful of blueberries and a hit of lemon zest transform them into something almost ethereal.
↓ Scroll down for more details, and enjoy!
Weeknight Dinner: Traditional Fettuccine Alfredo
A Little History
Long before the advent of the "American" Alfredo, a restaurateur named Alfredo Di Lelio concocted a dish for his wife, Ines, who had recently given birth and needed some nourishing recovery food.
He mixed butter and parmesan cheese to form a creamy sauce and paired it with homemade fettuccine. The meal was so delicious that she suggested putting it on the menu of his restaurant in Rome.
And the rest is history. The dish was so popular that it even gained international fame in the 1920s, thanks in part to some American actors.
From there, "Fettuccine Alfredo" was brought back to the US. At some point, American Italian restaurants began serving the dish using heavy cream for a more decadent, more stable sauce. This version is now commonplace in the US, while in Italy, the dish remains a simple, buttery, cheese-coated pasta known as "pasta al burro e parmigiana." The latter is the recipe I’ll be sharing with you today!
How to Get a Creamy Texture Without Cream
You might be wondering, how exactly do you make a creamy sauce without cream? The secret ingredient? It's pasta water.
You see, the starch in the pasta water acts as an emulsifier, binding fat and water-based ingredients together into a smooth sauce. It also helps naturally thicken the sauce and stabilizes the melted cheese, preventing clumps.
Thanks to a tip from Smitten Kitchen's cacio e pepe recipe, I've found the easiest method is to make a paste with the butter and cheese, then loosen it up with pasta water to form a sort of smooth 'cream' and toss that with the hot pasta.
Weekend Project: Lemon Blueberry Pancakes
These lemon blueberry pancakes are light, fluffy, and studded with juicy blueberries! Best of all, they're so easy to make and come together in just about 30 minutes.
Reader Kazie wrote,
“Just the right amount of lemon. Wonderful fluffy cakes. Almost dessert-like but very little sugar used. Will make again.”
Expert Tips:
Flipping: I've found the best way to flip pancakes is to firmly slide a spatula halfway under the pancake, then keep sliding it about ¾ of the way under. Raise the spatula with the pancake a couple of inches above the pan, then flip the pancake in one fell swoop.
Use the right equipment: A non-stick skillet or frying pan, a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, or a non-stick griddle are your best bet for a fuss-free pancake experience.
For even more blueberry flavor, spoon a dollop of homemade blueberry compote on top.
Have a great week,
- Karishma