Grownup Macaroni and Cheese

Or, as the rest of the world calls it...Alfredo.

My kids used to be mac and cheese lovers, but their tastes have refined a little and now they prefer noodles with homemade Alfredo sauce.  It's still creamy and cheesy but not so in-your-face, I think.  About a year ago, I found an Alfredo recipe that keeps us licking the pan long after the noodles are gone...and last night, it occurred to me that it's one I should put on the blog because it's probably one I'll want someday when I'm in, say, Florida or someplace, and at least if it's in the Chronicles I'll be able to locate it.

I didn't take a picture because we ate it like starving Italians.  Besides, it's just creamy white sauce on white noodles...how exciting is THAT in a photo?  The sauce, however, IS exciting.  And simple.  You'll be wrecked for Alfredo sauce anywhere else after this, I think.  (It's the ultimate comfort food...soft, creamy, starchy, garlicky, smooth. If you have a rough day, whip up some Alfredo and all will be better.)

Alfredo Sauce

1. In a sauce pan on low heat, melt 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick) and add a good heaping teaspoon of crushed or minced garlic from a jar. (If you're the ambitious type and like to go to all the work of mashing your own garlic, use maybe a clove and a half.  What the heck, use 2!)  When the garlic starts smelling warm and sweetish....

2. add 1 cup of heavy whipping cream to the butter/garlic and slowly heat it for about 5 minutes....until it's really warm but not boiling because next you'll...

3. whisk in to the warm cream/butter/garlic mixture about 1 1/2 cups of grated parmesan cheese.  (If you don't have fresh, one of those bags or containers of pre-grated will work just fine. That's what I use and it just requires a little more whisking, that's all.) Stir constantly over low heat (preferably still with your whisk) until the parmesan has melted and smoothed into the cream.  I usually add a little fresh grated pepper here, but you do what you want.

Pour over noodles of any shape or size, stir to cover every little inch of them, serve immediately.  We had ours with rigatoni noodles last night and the big opening caught and held more sauce than regular noodles, so each bite was full of creamy love.  

You'll want to have some crusty bread to clean up any sauce left in your bowl.

Then, when nobody is looking, lick what you can from what's left after the bread treatment. 

That's it.  You're a rock star!