Recipes › Pasta › Fettuccine Al Burro Recipe

Fettuccine Al Burro Recipe

Recipe by Pedro M. A. Neves

Fettuccine al burro is a elegant Roman pasta dish that celebrates the beauty of simplicity, featuring just egg fettuccine, high-quality butter, and Pecorino Romano cheese. This iconic primo showcases how restrained technique and premium ingredients create a luxurious, silky sauce that coats each strand perfectly. The dish exemplifies Italian minimalism at its finest.

Ingredients

• 400g dried fettuccine or 500g fresh fettuccine
• 150g unsalted butter, cut into cubes (5.3 oz)
• 100g Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated (3.5 oz)
• 2 tablespoons reserved pasta water
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 2 teaspoons of kosher salt when the water reaches a full boil.

2. Add the fettuccine to the boiling salted water and stir immediately to prevent sticking. Cook dried fettuccine for 9-10 minutes or fresh fettuccine for 2-3 minutes until al dente.

3. Reserve 120ml (1/2 cup) of pasta cooking water before draining. Set the water aside in a small bowl.

4. Place a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add half of the butter cubes and allow them to melt gently, swirling the pan occasionally.

5. Add the hot drained fettuccine directly to the melted butter, tossing continuously with wooden tongs or two forks to coat evenly.

6. Remove the pan from heat. Add the remaining butter cubes and 2 tablespoons of reserved pasta water, then toss vigorously until the butter emulsifies into a creamy sauce.

7. Add the grated Pecorino Romano cheese in two additions, tossing constantly between additions until fully incorporated and evenly distributed.

8. Season with freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of nutmeg if desired. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

9. Divide the fettuccine al burro into warmed pasta bowls or plates immediately and serve without delay.

Substitutions

• Use freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano instead of Pecorino Romano for a milder, slightly sweeter flavor
• Replace butter with extra virgin olive oil (160ml) for a dairy-free version, though the texture will be lighter
• Substitute clarified butter (ghee) for regular butter if avoiding milk solids for dietary reasons
• Use gluten-free pasta for celiac-friendly preparation while maintaining identical technique

Tips

• Work quickly after adding cheese to prevent it from clumping; the residual heat from the hot pasta should create a silky emulsion
• Use a heavy-bottomed pan to distribute heat evenly and prevent butter from browning excessively
• Reserve extra pasta water before draining; the starch in this water is essential for creating the creamy sauce rather than using cream
• Grate the cheese fresh just before cooking rather than using pre-grated varieties, which contain anti-caking agents that prevent smooth melting

Fettuccine al burro is a quintessential Roman dish that emerged during the post-war period as a celebration of simple, quality ingredients rather than elaborate preparations. This recipe reflects the Italian philosophy of 'cucina povera' elevated through technique and respect for each ingredient, demonstrating that extraordinary food does not require complexity.

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