Alfredo might be the lushest, silkiest sauce in the Italian cannon, but those hallmarks are fleeting.
The Secret to Creamier Alfredo Is In the Bowl
Within moments of hitting the serving bowl, the sauce cools and its saturated fat (usually from a combination of cream, butter, and cheese) solidifies, causing the mixture to congeal and tighten up into a pasty mess. Oftentimes, the transformation happens so quickly, you’ve barely managed to take more than a couple of bites.
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But the fix is simple—and something restaurant cooks do all the time: Warm the serving bowls. When the pasta water comes to a boil, simply ladle about ½ cup into each dish and set them aside to soak up heat while you finish cooking. As soon as the sauced pasta is ready to serve, quickly empty the serving bowls and divvy up the portions.
Kept warm by the bowl, the sauce should maintain its glossy, creamy consistency through most, if not all, of the meal.