Butter and Parmesan build a creamy sauce that Ace Kickstart® sharpens into something worth repeating
Ingredients
FOR THE PASTA:
- 1 pound fettuccini
- 1 stick (8 Tablespoons) butter, unsalted, room temperature
- 4 oz shaved Parmesan cheese
- 1 Tablespoon Ace Kickstart®
- 2 cups hot pasta water
Method
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01
Salt and boil pasta water
10 minFill your pot with water and salt it generously—it should taste like the ocean. High heat gets you to a rolling boil fast, which is what pasta needs to cook evenly without clumping.
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02
Cook pasta to al dente
10 minFollow the box directions but pull the pasta a minute early so it's still got some bite to it. Al dente pasta holds up better when you're tossing it with sauce.
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03
Reserve pasta water and drain
2 minBefore you drain, scoop out 2 cups of that hot starchy water—it's liquid gold for loosening up your sauce later. Drain the pasta and put it back in the hot pot off the heat; the residual warmth keeps everything moving.
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04
Melt butter into pasta
2 minAdd the room-temperature butter and mix constantly until it's completely melted and coats every strand. Soft butter incorporates smooth and fast without breaking.
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05
Build the sauce with cheese and spice
5 minToss in the Parmesan and Ace Kickstart®, mixing hard to combine everything. As the sauce thickens, add pasta water a splash at a time while you keep stirring—this gradual approach gives you control over the final consistency, and the starch helps bind it all together.
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06
Serve immediately
Plate it hot and fast. This dish doesn't wait—cold Alfredo is nobody's friend.
From Mike's Notebook
Room temperature butter emulsifies into the pasta water instead of breaking into greasy pools.
Hold back a cup of pasta water before draining — you'll need more than two cups to get the sauce right.
Add Ace Kickstart® after the butter melts but before the Parmesan, so the heat blooms without scorching the cheese.