Chili Crisp Fettuccine Alfredo
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 839kcal
My chili crisp fettuccine alfredo blooms the chili crisp in butter before the cream goes in. Silky, spicy, and done in 25 minutes.
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Equipment
- 1 Blender
Ingredients
- 12 oz fettuccine
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons chili crisp plus more for serving; such as Momofuku or Lao Gan Ma (see Note)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 oz cottage cheese about 1 cup, blended smooth
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 5 oz baby spinach
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese finely grated, plus more for serving
- 1 small lemon juiced, ~1 tbsp
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the fettuccine until just al dente (about 1 minute less than package directions). Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- Bloom the chili crisp. While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the chili crisp — spoon from the bottom of the jar to get both the oil and the crunchy bits. Stir and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant and sizzling. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, until fragrant but not browned.
- Build the sauce. Reduce heat to low. Whisk in the heavy cream and the blended cottage cheese until smooth and combined. The sauce should steam gently — do not let it boil or it may break. Season with kosher salt and black pepper.
- Wilt the spinach. Add the baby spinach to the sauce in handfuls, turning with tongs until each batch wilts before adding more, about 2 minutes total.
- Combine pasta and sauce. Add the drained fettuccine to the skillet. Using tongs, toss the pasta in the sauce, coating every strand. Add the Parmesan and lemon juice and toss again over low heat until the cheese melts into the sauce and everything looks glossy and well-coated. If the sauce is too thick, add pasta water a couple tablespoons at a time until it reaches a consistency that clings to the noodles but pools slightly on the plate.
- Serve immediately. Divide among bowls. Top each serving with an extra drizzle of chili crisp (both the oil and the crunchy bits), more grated Parmesan, and a crack of black pepper. This pasta is best eaten right away — the sauce thickens as it sits.
Notes
- Spoon chili crisp from the bottom of the jar — the crunchy solids (fried shallots, garlic, chili flakes) are where the flavor and texture live. The oil alone gives heat but not the same depth.
- Keep the heat low once the cream goes in. High heat causes the cream to separate, leaving a greasy broken sauce instead of a silky one. If you see the edges start to bubble rapidly, pull the pan off the heat.
- Blend the cottage cheese until completely smooth before adding to the sauce — any visible curds will look out of place in the finished alfredo. A blender gives the smoothest result; a food processor works but may leave small bits.
- Different chili crisp brands vary wildly in heat. Momofuku Chili Crunch is moderately spicy with a lot of crunch. Lao Gan Ma is deeper and more savory with less crunch. Fly By Jing is quite spicy. Start with 2 tablespoons and add more at the table.
- Reserve more pasta water than you think you need. This sauce goes from too thin to too thick very quickly, and starchy pasta water is the best fix.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The sauce will thicken significantly — add a splash of cream or milk when reheating.
- Warm gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of cream or milk, tossing until the sauce loosens. Microwave works in a pinch (cover loosely, 60-90 seconds, stir halfway) but the texture won't be as silky.
Nutrition
Calories: 839kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 188mg | Sodium: 934mg | Potassium: 594mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 4794IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 462mg | Iron: 3mg
