recipe: fettuccini alfredo with grilled chicken

Chad has a few of his very favorite dishes, the kinds of things he'll order off of basically any menu. We used to have a favorite Italian place where fettuccini alfredo was actually on the menu, and it was on our regular rotation for at least a year in school. (For you New Yorkers, it was one of those cursed restaurant spaces that inevitably goes out of business after a year, no matter how great the food is, sigh). But since that place closed, we haven't been anywhere with any regularity that has this dish on the menu.

I waited a bit of time before attempting my own version, in part because I usually avoid recipes that are a little "boring," the kind of things you'd see on a T.G.I. Friday's menu (sorry, Chad). But sometimes, especially in the middle of winter, all you want is your favorite classic pasta. This isn't exactly a healthy recipe (ok, it's not at ALL a healthy recipe), but it's a great occasional treat.

Although, if alfredo sauce is one of your favorites, you might not want to read the ingredient list. As Chad sometimes says when I start rattling off lists of ingredients, sometimes you're just better off not knowing.

Fettuccine Alfredo with Grilled Chicken

INGREDIENTS

1 pound dried fettuccine

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Sea Salt

Freshly ground pepper

8 ounces grilled chicken

DIRECTIONS

Cook the fettuccine in a pot of rapidly boiling salted water according to the box's instructions. Drain and reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and saute until tender. Add the heavy cream and Parmesan and bring it to a boil for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken and stir to combine.

Add the pasta to the sauce, along with the reserved cooking water. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with additional Parmesan, if desired. Serve.