Tricolored Fettucino Alfredo
With pride in our hearts and memories in our Soul,we join in saluting the flag as my country celebrates her 65th Republic Day. Jai Hind ! ( the Tricolored theme for this dish is based on the color of my Indian flag… patriotism in a bowl smile emoticon )
Walking down the pasta aisle in the market one day I spotted this packet marked “Fettucine”,so tickled by the colors in it , picked it up and put it along with the rest of items in my cart.Today as I watched the news and the preparations for the Republic Day in my country, a familiar nostalgic feeling settled in…. pride, joy and a soulful of memories…yes that is where the Tricolored flag flew in my thoughts.As luck would have it,when I opened my pantry, this long forgotten packet , jumped right into my sight, talk about MESSAGES from the kitchen wink emoticon and so here I was stirring the tricolored pasta like a pro.As I hummed a tune & set about my cooking, the happy colors from the flag seemed to jump out from the dish, gone were the winter blues…proof for what a little color can do to one’s life!!!
“Fettucine” is a type of pasta popular among the Roman cuisine, a thick fat noodle made of flour & eggs.”Fettuccine Alfredo is a pasta dish made from fettuccine pasta tossed with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and butter. As the cheese melts, it emulsifies the liquids to form a smooth and rich coating on the pasta. It was named by a Roman restaurateur, Alfredo Di Lelio. In US cuisine it is sometimes mixed with other ingredients such as broccoli, parsley, cream, garlic, shrimp, or chicken”.The saffron or pinkish hue in this pasta comes from the tomato powder, the green comes from the spinach ( the colors of the flag played themselves in the pasta ) along with the Parmesan cheese and flour as a thickener, turns into a rich creamy dish.Enjoy your thick creamy bowl of pasta at home, when the winter winds are howling outside coz’ home is where the heart is ,after all !
Ingredients
1 1 Fettucine ( 12 oz /341g packet)
5 cups 5 Water
1/2 1/2 stick Butter
1 tbsp 1 Olive Oil
1/2 cup 1/2 Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup 1/2 Cream/ Milk
1 tbsp 1 All purpose flour
1 tsp 1 Black pepper powder
Salt- to taste
1/2 cup 1/2 Vegetables or meat of your choice ( I used steamed carrots & beans here)
Directions
- Boil water in a large vessel, when it starts to boil empty the packet of Fettucine into it.Cook for 8- 9 minutes, till the pasta turns tender but not mushy.Drain & set aside.
- In a separate vessel, heat butter and olive oil, to this gently add the flour and cream/milk to make a thick sauce.
- Now add the drained pasta along with the steamed vegetables, pepper & salt & cook covered for a few minutes .
- Serve hot and enjoy the comfort of a thick creamy pasta on a cold winter day
