Summer Fettuccine Alfredo
Fettuccine Alfredo is definitely a family favorite. It is also a very easy recipe to change up. Adding in season vegetables can completely change the flavor and cause your children to think you are a genius in the kitchen.
In the summer, I like to add in fresh vegetables such as bell peppers and corn. Fresh baby spinach is equally tasty. Fettuccine Alfredo is also a recipe that is hearty enough to hold up against adding a protein; while at the same time flavorful enough to not need a protein. In the summer, if I add a protein, it is usually chicken. I’ve added grilled steak slices over top as well.
Another tasty combination with Fettuccine Alfredo would be adding in various squash, such as zucchini and eggplant. Now I know what you are thinking, zoodles…that’s a hard no! Zoodles don’t hold up to the sauce. There is a reason why Fettuccine noodles are served with Alfredo…they are hearty, they hold up to the decadent sauce. Zoodles just don’t.
Summer Fettuccine Alfredo
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 2 large shallots chopped
- 1½ cups fresh corn kernels cut off of the cob (see notes)
- 1 large chicken breast chuncked
- 8 oz cream cheese softened and cubed
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 Tbsp garlic diced
- 1 lb fettuccine noodles
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- noodle water see notes
Instructions
- On one burner, begin boiling a large pot with water for the fettuccine noodles. At the same time, on another burner, in a large skillet, drizzle olive oil over the bottom and add in the shallot and bell pepper. Saute for 3-4 minutes then add in the chicken chunks.
- Once the chicken is about half way cooked, add in the corn. Saute longer, until the chicken is fully cooked. Add in the diced garlic and saute more. You may need to add more olive oil in with each addition to the skillet. Use your judgement to see if you do.
- By this point, your water is probably boiling in the other pot. Add in a small handful of salt to the boiling water, then add in the fettuccine noodles. Stir often so the noodles don't clump and stick to each other. While the noodles boil, in the skillet add in the cream cheese and begin to melt with the other ingredients in the skillet. You will need to add in some noodle water to thin it out. Some recipes call for cream or milk, I like to add in the water from the noodle pot. You don't need a lot, just take a ladle and scoop some water out of the pot and add it to the skillet. I usually add in 2-3 ladles full in. I like the sauce on the liquidy side becasue when I add in the Parmesan cheese it thickens up again. Turn the burner off from under the skillet.
- After the fettuccine noodles have cooked for about 9-10 minutes, drain the water from the pot. Now this next trick I learned from my good friend Giada; add in ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese to the noodles and stir. Her reasoning for this is that the cheese sticks to naked noodles better than noodles already covered in a topping.
- Add the rest of the Parmsean cheese into the sauce and stir to combine. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce into the noodles and stir. Top with fresh basil, serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Now I don’t know how you feel, but I absolutely loath pouring the water out of a noodle pot and end up having the noodles flop all over and miss the strainer in the sink. A few years ago I asked for this for Christmas…
And it has been the most used pot in my kitchen. I know, it is an investment, but I seriously love this pot and am going to ask for another as back up.
Another Amazon find that I couldn’t live with out is this one…
If you eat corn on the cob often, you know how pesky the little strings of silk can be. Even if you purchased already husked corn, there is always silk stuck in between the rows of corn kernels. This desilker is easily in the top 10 of my most favorite kitchen tools. My kiddos can’t complain about silk strings in their corn anymore.
What are some of your go-to summer vegetables? Do you have an absolute must every summer? Hope y’all have an amazing week!
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