Nila Harris
By Nila Harris
I love noodles. In high school, I had the nickname “Noodle Nila.”
My classmate Angie Moore gave me the nickname after I came to school one morning with my hair ultra curly. She laughingly told me, “Your hair looks like little noodles!” and brought me a gift of noodles the next day.
The name Noodle Nila stuck and still reigns today.
Given the fact that there isn’t a noodle (or type of pasta) I don’t like, I believe that I have been aptly dubbed.
One of my favorite noodle dishes is fettuccine Alfredo, and lo and behold, there is a day for this yummy noodle. Feb. 7 is National Fettuccine Alfredo Day. The holiday was first established in 2005 to celebrate the popular Italian dish.
Just like I love fettuccine alfredo, this dish was concocted out of love.
In 1908, an Italian restaurateur Alfredo di Lelio, concerned about his pregnant wife’s lack of appetite, created a recipe of pasta noodles, butter and cheese. The creamy pasta dish turned out so well that he added it to the menu at his mother’s restaurant, Piazza Rosa.
A few years later in 1914, Di Lelio opened his own restaurant in Rome, named the establishment Alfredo, and “further enhanced (the dish) by the ‘Alfredo ceremony’ of preparing it with flair at the table,” according to holidaytoday.org
Fettuccine Alfredo made its way to the United States after American actors Douglas Fairbanks and his wife, Mary Pickford, experienced the dish at Alfredo, loved it and asked for the recipe. The couple brought it back to the States, where it became an instant hit.
You might celebrate National Fettuccine Alfredo Day by trying your own recipe at home. Consider adding mushrooms, shrimp or chicken to the noodles.
Perhaps you’d like to try this dish at a restaurant — sounds like a great excuse to go to Olive Garden or other eatery on Feb. 7. Be sure to invite your friends to tag along too.
Try your hand at making homemade fettuccine noodles with flour, eggs, olive oil and salt. When I was growing up, my grandmother was always making homemade noodles. Oh, the joy of seeing those noodles lying on the countertop to dry! I knew they’d be ready by dinnertime.
Explore different variations of the dish — there are even lower fat options to make the dish healthier.
Unfortunately, the only recipe I have tried is not the healthiest, but it sure is good.
Noodle Nila’s Fettuccine Alfredo
8 ounces (6 cups) uncooked egg noodles (or fettuccine)
¼ cup margarine or butter
1 cup whipping cream
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon salt
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Cook noodles as directed on the package.
While noodles are cooking, heat margarine over a water bath until melted (I use a metal pan insert over water in a saucepan; I’m sure a double boiler would work too). Stir in cream, Parmesan cheese, and salt. Heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth.
Drain noodles; toss with cream mixture until evenly coated. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese and pepper.
4 servings; 560 calories per serving.
