john's fettuccine/gnocchi with alfredo sauce

How To Make john's fettuccine/gnocchi with alfredo sauce

• 1

  Slightly defrost chicken breast in the microwave so that it can be thinly sliced (1/4”) and chopped. Add half of olive oil to a skillet and cook chicken till done. Remove from stove and drain. Place chicken slices/chunks in a medium bowl and set it to the side.
• 2

  Slice and chop the bacon in the same way. Cook the bacon in the same skillet until done. Drain well and place inside the medium bowl with the chicken. You can wash the skillet and put it away at this point.
• 3

  Remove stems from spinach and parsley. Chop as finely as you like. Place both in a small bowl inside the refrigerator so that they do not wilt.
• 4

  Warm butter in the microwave and let it melt. Note: The butter must be in a slightly warm liquid state when added later to properly blend or your sauce will have to reach a higher temperature (careful not to scald) to get it to blend while stirring.
• 5

  Pour heavy cream into a sauce pan. Heavy whipping cream can be substituted for this.
• 6

  Slice/grate cheese and set it to the side in a small bowl. The “Freshly Grated” pizza topping cheese (looks powdery) will not melt and will change the texture but can be used for a substitute in a pinch. You can buy freshly sliced Parmesan at the grocery store in the refrigerated cheese area normally. I have tried the powdered topping and really disliked it.
• 7

  Pour a cup of whole milk into a glass and set it to the side. I normally run hot water in the sink and place the glass in the sink to get it warmed while I do other things. The milk must not be cold or else it will not mix properly and it will suddenly drop the temperature of the sauce causing it to lump or just be a pain in general. Almost steaming would be ideal but as long as it's not cold it is good at this point.
• 8

  Place a stock pot on the stove for the Fettuccini and add the remaining olive oil along with the required water. Bring to a boil and place the noodles into the water. Helpful Hint: If the world is perfect then you can time the sauce being ready right as the noodles are finished. It takes practice.
• 9

  Here is where you’ll get busy. Key tip: You must constantly stir the alfredo ALL the time that it is cooking or else it will scald. Add Parsley, Spinach, and garlic powder to the meats. One to three freshly pressed cloves of garlic may be substituted for the powder to taste.
• 10

  Warm the heavy cream on medium low while stirring. After it warms bring the heat to medium. Keep stirring. Add the melted butter while stirring. Slowly add the parmesan cheese at a rate of about ½ a cup per three minutes in order to give it time to melt. Do NOT add it all at once. The alfredo with thicken heavily. Add whole milk as needed to keep the desired consistency. It will be very thick if you do not add milk.
• 11

  Check your noodles. Hopefully they are almost done.
• 12

  Add meats and greens to the alfredo sauce once all of the cheese has melted. Not before.
• 13

  Drain noodles and yes keep stirring the alfredo with that third hand that you don’t have lol. Once drained add the alfredo and immediately stir, mix, cover, and serve. Garnish the plates with parsley if you like. Best enjoyed with sliced homemade white bread toasted in the oven with butter and parmesan cheese topping.
• 14

  This dish does not stand well. It must be served once ready so please have the table set prior to starting. It really helps to have a second person or little helper to take care of the noodles while you concentrate on the sauce. Walk away from the sauce, try to lower the temp to allow a bathroom break, or start talking on the phone and you will most likely be starting over due to scalding of the sauce. This dish can be reheated in the microwave but very very slowly with added milk and will not be as good.
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