Thirty-six Old Italians

According to the legend, Alfredo’s wife suffered from morning sickness. As a remedy, he whipped up a batch of plain fettuccine for her and tossed it in a bowl with a little melted butter and Parmesan. At our house, we start with half a cup of butter and half a cup of cream. We melt them together in a pan, stirring, until the mixture starts to bubble. Then we turn the heat down a bit and let it simmer about six minutes. We stir in 3/4 cup of grated Parmesan, and add a handful of cooked chicken, steamed shrimp or diced ham. We serve the sauce over huge bowls of steamed cauliflower and broccoli, with minced fresh basil and more grated Parmesan as a garnish. We still call it Chicken (or Shrimp or Ham) Alfredo, although I’m sure the original Alfredo would never recognize it.