Are They Really Italian?

...lost her appetite during pregnancy. To restore it Alfredo went to his kitchen and mixed egg noodles with parmigiano cheese and butter, creating a dish that his wife couldn’t resist.” Little did he know that years later millions of people in the world would have loved it too. We got our answer…

Fettuccine Alfredo really is an Italian dish. The original Alfredo’s restaurant is located in the heart of the historic center of Rome, Piazza Augusto Imperatore, and it has always been run by Alfredo’s family. In the ‘60s it was THE place where to enjoy La Dolce Vita; international stars like James Stewart, Jack Lemmon, Sophia Loren used to meet there to hang out and enjoy something good to eat.

In 1977, a devoted fan of the Roman restaurant, Guido Bellanca, opened Alfredo II in New York, where Fettuccine Alfredo started its rise to success. The restaurant and its staff are devoted to maintaining a high standard of extremely authentic Italian cuisine and, of course, preserving the original fettuccine Alfredo’s recipe.

Fettuccine Alfredo has now become a staple in Italian-American restaurants in the United States, though in Italy, it is mostly served to American tourists. Some variations see chicken or shrimp served on top of the noodles, while Alfredo sauce is sold in food stores nationwide produced by several brands. Almost a hundred years have passed since Alfredo first created his signature pasta dish but fans continue to grow and to cherish this simple yet delicious dish.

And now Mr. Bellanca, the current heir of this institution, is very passionate about promoting authentic Italian cuisine. “In my restaurant I take you back to Rome in the 1960’s through music, design, but mostly through food”.