Few dishes are as comforting as Fettuccine Alfredo. The cheesy, buttery sauce is simple yet satisfying. It tastes rich without leaving you weighed down; it's simple to make, but feels fancy.
Though fettuccine Alfredo is one of the most popular pasta dishes in the world, few people know the story of its' origins. The iconic sauce's comfort factor is no coincidence. Behind the dish is the man who gave it its name, Alfredo Di Lelio, and one of the sweetest stories in culinary history.
Cooking From The Heart
Alfredo Di Lelio was born in Rome in 1882. At the age of 10, he started working in his family's restaurant in the Piazza Rosa. Today, there is no remnants of the restaurant, which was bulldozed to make room for a shopping center.
Di Lelio first made his iconic dish, fettuccine al triplo burro, in 1908. The dish used only three ingredients, fresh fettuccine, butter, and "young" Parmesan cheese. While legends persist of a secret fourth ingredient, the original dish was simple on purpose.
Di Lelio's wife, Ines, had just given birth to her first child. The birth was difficult, and Ines was very weak in the following days. She ate very little and could barely stand.
In order to get Ines back on her feet, Di Lelio concocted a simple dish. It was easy enough for Ines's weakened stomach to digest, yet hearty enough to give her strength. Di Lelio sent a prayer to St. Anne, the patron saint of new mothers, and presented the new dish to his wife.
If the sauce wasn't to Ines's taste, Di Lelio promised he would eat it instead and try something else. However, the sauce was to her taste. Ines loved her husband's creation and quickly regained her strength.
In fact, Ines loved it so much, she suggested they put it on the menu. So, fettuccine al triplo burro took up a permanent spot on the menu. Despite the simplicity of the dish, and the fact that mom-and-pop pasta joints were a lira a dozen, the dish was an immediate hit in Rome.
However, things were not to last. As we said earlier, the piazza was condemned in 1910, and the Di Lelio family restaurant would close with it. That wouldn't be much of a story, would it?
New Clients, New Fame
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Di Lelio took over a wine and oil shop on the nearby vila della Scrofa. His named his restaurant Ristorante Alfredo. The new location was much more central, a detail that was imperative to the success of fettuccine Alfredo.
In 1920, an American couple visited the Ristorante Alfredo and changed Alfredo Di Lelio's life forever. The couple was no other than silent film stars Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. They were visiting Rome on their honeymoon, and had caused riots of devoted fans trying to get a glimpse of the stars.
Both Fairbanks and Pickford loved Di Lelio's signature dish. They loved it so much that they asked for the recipe so they could take it back to America with them. Before leaving Rome, they presented Di Lelio with a golden fork and spoon, inscribed with the words "To Alfredo the King of the noddles".
From there, Di Lelio's fame only grew. Both he and his noodles traveled abroad, leaving a trail of satisfied stomachs in their paths. De Lelio was even knighted by the King of Italy!
Unfortunately, rationing during World War II made it increasingly difficult to run a restaurant, even for a celebrity chef. Di Lelio sold his restaurant in 1943 and retired. However, retirement didn't last long.
After the war, Di Lelio opened his biggest restaurant yet, serving politicians, musicians, and, of course, Hollywood royalty. Part of the experience was the spectacle with which Di Lelio served his famous noodles with his golden cutlery. A celebrity wall pictured the chef serving stars in humorous poses.
Following his death in 1959, Alfredo Di Lelio's restaurants have been passed down from father to son. If you want an authenic bowl of Roman pasta, you can check out Alfredo alla Scrofa or Il vero Alfredo. The latter restaurant is currently run by Alfredo III, alongside his sister, Ines.
