So I knew my family liked fettuccine alfredo. So I thought, how could I kick this up a notch? Add lots of crushed garlic, chopped parsley, and make a roux, so we're basically riffing on bechamel at this point.
I let my youngest son pick the shape and it was a great choice. The shells really filled up with the sauce and was fun to eat.
4 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. flour
8 cloves garlic, grated
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
1 lb. medium shells pasta
Melt the butter, add the flour and garlic. Then half cup at a time, add the half and half, stirring until smooth. Season with a little salt and good amount of pepper. Stir in the cheese until melted and then add parsley. Stir the sauce into the drained pasta.
I found initially that the sauce was a little thinner (very creamy) than I was expecting. Just a touch. So I added a little more Parmesan and gave it an extra minute on the stove and it thickened perfectly. But maybe next time I would aim for 3.25 cups of half and half.
I never claimed that was going to be a strict Italian journey. This is definitely an Americanized pasta dish, just like alfredo. Personally, I thought this kicked the pants off alfredo sauce. The roux added a deeper nuttiness, the garlic was great, and the fresh parsley was a nice addition too. Definitely seems like something I'll be making again one day.
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