Iconic Italian Dishes: 3 Famous Fettuccine Recipes to Try

Picture a plate of fettuccine glossy with sauce, then look closer: there’s no cream anywhere in the kitchen. Just butter softening by the stove and a wedge of Parmigiano Reggiano, tossed with hot pasta until they melt into a silky coating. That’s how Fettuccine Alfredo was born in Rome, and it’s only the beginning. These ribbons of fresh egg pasta carry some of Italy’s best-loved sauces, from a Roman cousin of carbonara to an Emilian classic.

Fettuccine Alfredo are a truly Italian first course, just like spaghetti all'Amatriciana or spaghetti cacio e pepe: simple homemade fettuccine made with fresh egg pasta, dressed with plenty of butter and Parmigiano Reggiano PDO. The recipe was invented in 1914 by Alfredo, the owner of a restaurant on Via della Scrofa in Rome, and became internationally famous after Hollywood stars took an interest in it in the 1920s.

Fettuccine alla Papalina are a rich and creamy Roman first course, with egg fettuccine coated in an egg-based sauce. They are said to be a variation on carbonara that originated from a request by Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, the future Pope Pius XII, to the restaurant that supplied meals to the Vatican. In this version, pancetta gives way to prosciutto crudo, and a sautéed onion base helps bring the flavors together, with Parmesan in place of pecorino.

Fettuccine alla Modenese are a first course from the Emilia tradition, rich in colors and flavors, characterized by a hearty sauce reminiscent of a “dry soup”. The tomato combines with the sweetness of the peas and the savoriness of the prosciutto, while grated cheese adds an extra touch of flavor. What makes this recipe even more special, however, is the truffle, which with its intense and unmistakable aroma gives the dish a refined note.