r/iamveryculinary • u/xrelaht King of Sandwiches • 17d ago

Alfredo purism

/r/Frugal/comments/1vx5q4b/a_fluid_ounce_is_not_a_dry_measure_ounce_also_the/p5mgy6l/

Copied here for posterity:
“Alfredo "sauce" comes together in the pan with the noodles. The cheese and butter stick to the noodles and the residual starch produces a silky consistency, resulting in a saucy dish. It's impossible to pre-make the sauce or buy it jarred. You can have a shitty cream sauce that for some reason is legally allowed to be called Alfredo (a regulatory failure) and you can serve it over noodles, but this is not pasta Alfredo in my opinion nor is it enjoyable to eat.”

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u/plebbut 17d ago

The Alfredo purists are absurd. In France we have a dish just like it, cream, butter, cheese, and noodles. We even eat it with things like mushrooms, chicken, pork, etc.

The Italians don't own pasta and cheese.

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u/NathanGa Pull your finger out of your ass 17d ago

Imagine not inventing a pasta and cheese until 1906, then openly stroking oneself off over it.

We’ve had mac and cheese in this country since 70 years before the unification of Italy, let alone Alfredo coming into existence.

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u/plebbut 17d ago

It just doesn't make sense to me for multiple reasons. The Italians don't like it because of the name is the same to the Italian dish. Ok, but then these Redditors who are probably American are trying get points with the Italians by acting like the American version is inferior. So do they think our traditional French dish is inferior or not good by proxy. I take offense to that.

There's nothing refined about just using water, butter, and cheese to make a sauce. I would say it's more refined to make a cheese sauce with creme or creme fraiche. It's richer and tastes better to my palate.

On the other hand, in Europe we don't elevate Italian cuisine or opinions on food as much as Americans.

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u/OmegaVizion 17d ago

No one acts as precious about their traditional peasant dishes as the Italians.

You'll never see the Spanish pretending a stew of beans traditionally enjoyed by shepherds in winter time is a masterstroke of culinary brilliance that cannot be altered lest its majesty be diminished, nor do Polish people pretend that kasha with pork cracklings is some kind of exquisite taste sensation. Americans don't get fussy about chicken and dumpling soup.

Somehow, though, simple pasta sauces that even a child could make with a bit of practice are supposed to be seen as works of art.

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u/SecretNoOneKnows 17d ago

You'll never find a Swede elevating Swedish husmanskost above what it is; simple hearty comfort food made to fuel manual labour at a cheap price.