In the early 1910s Alfredo Di Lelio, whose family owned a trattoria in Rome, created this rich pasta dish of fresh fettuccine, butter, and Parmigiano. The dish became so popular that Alfredo was soon running a bigger, fancier restaurant under his own name, where he would prepare the pasta at tableside, serving it up to diners with great fanfare and a gold fork and spoon. Silent movie stars Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., and his wife, Mary Pickford, were said to have been among the restaurant’s many famous patrons.

This recipe was given to me by Russell Bellanca, owner of the Alfredo The Original of Rome Restaurants in New York City and Epcot Center, Florida. According to Russell, this is the recipe as developed by Alfredo Di Lelio. His son, Alfredo II, gave it to Russell’s dad, who was a business partner many years ago. At Alfredo The Original, the pasta is handmade from a mix of three different flours and organic egg yolks, though I use my own homemade pasta.

Serve the pasta in small portions. It is very rich.