Pasta Alfredo

Today, together with Cesarina Anna from San Quirico d'Orcia, we’re preparing a dish that many associate with the United States, but that actually has deeply Italian roots: Pasta Alfredo, born in Rome and later made famous in Hollywood!

The story of Pasta Alfredo is quite fascinating, while many mistakenly link it to American culinary tradition, it actually originated in Italy. The dish was created in early 20th-century Rome by Alfredo Di Lelio. Legend has it that Alfredo prepared it to help his wife recover after giving birth, crafting a simple yet rich pasta made with butter and Parmigiano Reggiano.

So how did a Roman dish become such a big hit in the United States?

Pasta Alfredo became famous in the U.S. when two Hollywood stars, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, visited Alfredo’s restaurant in Rome in the 1920s. They were so delighted by the dish that they spoke about it upon returning to America, sharing the story of the meal and the man behind it. On a later trip to Rome, the couple returned to Alfredo’s and gifted him a set of golden cutlery engraved with personal dedications, helping to cement the legend around the dish.

This sparked pasta Alfredo’s rise in popularity across the United States. Over time, however, it was modified to suit American tastes — often made with cream, garlic, onion, or even chicken — and quickly became a staple in many restaurants.

Today, pasta Alfredo is so deeply rooted in American food culture that it even has its own holiday: National Fettuccine Alfredo Day, celebrated every year on February 7th.