It has been an eventful couple of days: my blog finally became google-searchable (yaaaay!!!), I seem to be getting over my cold (excuse me while I run outside and knock vigorously on nearest tree!), and the weather suddenly went from mild and summery to cool and crisp. It was perhaps this chain of events that emboldened me to attempt, one more time, a recipe I have always failed at in the past: Fettuccine Alfredo. I capitalize it here because that's the way I think of it. That's the way it always appears on the menus at Italian restaurants, which until now have been my only source of satisfactory Fettuccine Alfredo. Last time I tried to make it, something dreadful happened to the sauce: the parmesan got all clumpy and formed a blob that simply refused to melt into the cream.
    This time, armed with a new recipe from Emeril Lagasse of Food Network and a shallot (I had never cooked with one before, but they're tasty little suckers!) I conquered Fettuccine Alfredo.

Before I tell you how to make it, let me share a little tidbit I learned from the pasta box: Fettuccine means "little ribbons" in Italian. I had little ribbons for dinner, and so can you!

Ingredients:
* serves 1
8 oz dry fettuccine pasta
1/2 shallot, minced
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp heavy cream
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
parsley to garnish

Fill a large stockpot with water and bring it to a boil. Add the pasta and boil for 10-15 minutes, depending on how tender you like your pasta. While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots, and saute them until they are soft and translucent. Add the cream, and cook until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly.
Drain the cooked pasta in a colander, then put it back in the pot. Add the sauce to the pasta, and stir. Add the parmesan cheese gradually to the hot pasta, and stir it in as it melts. Serve immediately, garnishing with chopped parsley if desired.

You can file this one under fast dinners. If you have all the ingredients ready, you can cook this within 20 minutes easily.