Ingredients:

  • 1 pound (450 g) Dried Fettuccine Pasta (bronze-cut preferred)
  • 6 tablespoons (85 g) Unsalted Butter, cold and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 1/2 cups (100 g) Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, freshly grated
  • Salt, to taste (for pasta water)
  • Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste (for garnish)

Instructions:

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water (seasoned to taste like the sea) to a rolling boil. Cook fettuccine until perfectly al dente, about 1 minute less than package directions.
  2. Crucially, just before draining, scoop out at least 1 1/2 cups of the starchy pasta cooking water and set aside.
  3. Drain the fettuccine well and immediately transfer it to a large, off-heat skillet or sauté pan.
  4. Add the cold cubes of unsalted butter to the warm pasta in the skillet. Gently toss the pasta to begin melting the butter using only the residual heat.
  5. Add about 1/2 cup of the reserved hot pasta water to the skillet. Toss vigorously and continuously until the starch, butter, and water start creating a thin, creamy coating.
  6. Remove the skillet completely from the heat source. Add the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano in three separate additions, tossing constantly between each addition. Do not stop tossing.
  7. Adjust consistency by splashing in more reserved hot pasta water, a tablespoon at a time, continuing to toss until the sauce is glossy and perfectly coats the pasta strands.
  8. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately with a generous grind of black pepper over the top.