Surprisingly, Alfredo sauce is not a staple of restaurants in Italy. Carbonara, pasta cacio e pepe, and pesto are classics you can get almost anywhere. But if you were to order Fettuccine Alfredo in an Italian restaurant, chances are that the waiter would give you a puzzled look. However, this doesn’t mean that Alfredo sauce is not really Italian. Read on to discover why.
The Original Alfredo Was a Dedicated Husband
According to legend, Alfredo sauce was created in Rome in 1908 because Alfredo Di Lelio was worried for her wife, Ines, who wasn’t feeling well after giving birth to their son.
Alfredo’s mother owned a trattoria in the center of Rome, so it was natural for him to turn to what he knew: food.
A dedicated husband, Alfredo spare no effort. He made himself fresh fettuccine from scratch and seasoned it with fresh butter and Parmesan cheese. “Eat this, and if you don’t like it, I’ll eat it myself,” Alfredo told his wife.
Not only did Ines like it, she suggested that they add it to the menu of the family trattoria.
Hollywood Flair
Alfredo’s recipe was a modest success. The dish was beloved by Alfredo’s clients without ever breaking into wider recognition in Rome, let alone Italy.
Things changed when Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, two megastars of the silent film era, visited Rome. They ate at Alfredo’s trattoria and fell in love with the specialty of the house.
Fairbanks and Pickford were trendsetters, influencers before the age of social media. Soon, Alfredo’s trattoria became an inevitable stop for celebrities visiting Rome, a fact that explains why, while being Italian, fettuccine Alfredo are so much more popular in the United States than in Italy
More Interesting Food Facts
At Chef Gourmet we know good food, and part of our mission is sharing that knowledge with you. For example. these are some previous posts packed with interesting culinary facts.
- Are potatoes good for you?
- How to make marinara sauce: 3 delicious tips
- How chicken became a global food
- Why is it important to eat vegetables?
- How Tomatoes Conquered the World
- Soba Noodles: Everything You Need to Know
Try Our Shrimp Alfredo
At Chef Gourmet, we love Alfredo sauce so much that have included Shrimp Alfredo among our Gourmet prepared meals.
We work with local suppliers we know and trust. Thanks to this philosophy, we can support our communities while offering you dishes made with the freshest ingredients.
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