17 Easy Fettuccine Recipes You Can Make On A Weeknight (2024)

FAQs

What is fettuccine traditionally served with? ›

Fettuccine is often classically eaten with sugo d'umido ('beef ragù') or ragù di pollo ('chicken ragù').

As a rule of thumb, try not to jump more than one pasta shape away when looking for substitutions. So if your recipe calls for spaghetti and you don't have any, linguine will work just fine but fettuccine will likely be too thick.

Christmas fettuccine is a form of fettuccine alfredo: a decadent mix of butter, garlic, parmesan cheese and double cream. The Christmas element comes in the form of gentle spicing: a sprinkle of nutmeg and a good grind of black pepper.

There are dozens of variations of fettuccine Alfredo out there. You could sprinkle in fresh herbs and lemon zest or juice to cut the richness of the cream. You could also top servings with cooked shrimp or chicken for some protein, or toss in a vegetable like cooked asparagus!

As a general rule, pair the heartier sauces with the wider noodles: Wide ribbons like pappardelle pair well with rich, meaty sauces while the thinner flat noodles, like fettuccine or linguine, are best paired with simple cream sauces like Alfredo or delicate proteins like seafood.

Italian, plural of fettuccina, diminutive of fettuccia small slice, ribbon, diminutive of fetta slice, probably alteration of *offetta, from offa flour cake, from Latin. First Known Use. 1912, in the meaning defined above. Time Traveler. The first known use of fettuccine was in 1912.

If you are eating a dish where the sauce has to coat the pasta and stick to it, you should go with fettuccine. If you are eating a dish that is lighter, or with a sauce that is meant to be a thin coating, you should go with linguine noodles instead.

You'll notice that linguine is much narrower and has a slightly elliptical or rounder shape than fettuccine. But compared to other pasta such as angel hair, spaghetti, and bucatini, linguine noodles are flatter. On the other hand, fettuccine is wider and has a flatter appearance than linguine.

Eggs are the big differentiating factor between egg noodles and other pastas. But it isn't that regular pasta is made without them entirely (although technically it can be). Rather, it's that the dough generally calls for a smaller proportion of eggs. So, in a way, pretty much all pasta is a type of egg noodle.

In Southern and Central Italy, baked pasta is a must. In Northern Italy, Lasagne Bolognese and filled pasta like manicotti and ravioli are traditional Christmas fare. Next comes the main event, the meat. Roasted veal, baked chicken, sausages or braised beef are common Natale entrées worth celebrating.

What do Italians make for Christmas? ›

Christmas dinner traditions vary throughout the different regions of Italy, but are guaranteed to involve a feast, including fish and seafood dishes on Christmas Eve and an abundance of rich and comforting pasta and roast meat dishes on the big day.

On Christmas Day, the culinary festivities expand to include antipasti, cheese boards, charcuterie, flavourful first courses, succulent second courses, and a delightful array of desserts. The main dish typically highlights fish, such as trout or salmon, in most regions. In Naples, eel is a popular choice.

Pasta is often served as a primo (first course), with a meat, seafood or vegetable course called a secondo coming after that. To do as the Italians do, try serving a smaller portion of pasta as a primo for an Italian-inspired dinner party, or as precursor to a meat, fish or vegetable main.