Chicken alfredo is a creamy, delicious pasta dish that has become popular around the world. But who exactly invented this iconic recipe? The origins of chicken alfredo are somewhat murky, though most accounts point back to early 20th century Rome and a restaurateur named Alfredo di Lelio.
The Birth of Fettuccine Alfredo
The story begins with fettuccine alfredo – the precursor to chicken alfredo. In 1908, Alfredo di Lelio was working in his family’s restaurant in Rome. When his wife Ines gave birth and had trouble eating afterwards, Alfredo wanted to tempt her appetite with a special dish.
He came up with a recipe for fettuccine tossed with butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The resulting sauce was rich, smooth and enveloped the pasta strands. Ines loved it, and Alfredo put his “fettuccine al burro” on the menu. It soon became the restaurant’s signature dish.
In 1914, Alfredo opened his own eatery, called Alfredo’s, on Via della Scrofa in Rome. Here he began officially calling the dish “fettuccine all’Alfredo” and paraded it tableside with great ceremony. The restaurateur wanted to showcase his culinary talents, tossing the pasta with fork and spoon in hand before delighted diners.
Fettuccine Alfredo started gaining international fame in the 1920s, especially with visiting American tourists. Alfredo played up the performance aspect and dubbed himself “The King of Fettuccine.” His talents charmed early Hollywood stars like Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks who dined at Alfredo’s in 1927 and gifted Alfredo golden utensils as thanks.
Adding Cream and Chicken Stateside
As fettuccine Alfredo grew popular in the U.S., home cooks and restaurants started tweaking the recipe. The traditional Italian version used just butter and Parmigiano. But American versions introduced cream to make an even richer, creamier sauce.
Broccoli and chicken were also common additions to stretch fettuccine Alfredo into an entree. While chicken may seem like a natural pairing, it’s unlikely Alfredo himself ever served chicken with his signature pasta. Chicken alfredo as we know it developed as the dish spread internationally.
The dish grows popular
From Italian restaurant menus to boxes of dried pasta, chicken alfredo became a staple across the United States by the 1970s and 80s It was quick, filling comfort food for families Frozen and shelf-stable versions let busy home cooks serve up this “gourmet” dish with ease.
Meanwhile, travelers continued seeking out the original taste in Rome. But even in Italy, Roman-style “burro e parmigiano” pasta was often listed as fettuccine alfredo on menus catering to tourists The international name had eclipsed the local one
Who invented chicken alfredo?
While we don’t know exactly who first added chicken and cream to the mix, Alfredo di Lelio is considered the creator of the original fettuccine alfredo. The addition of chicken and cream came later as the dish was popularized and adapted.
These tweaks resulted in the hearty, satisfying chicken alfredo we know and love today. But the creamy pasta’s roots lie with Alfredo di Lelio’s early 20th century Roman recipe aiming to tempt his wife’s appetite after childbirth. That serendipitous moment of culinary invention gave us a now-classic pasta pleaser.
The Alfredo Dynasty Today
Rome’s Via della Scrofa today hosts two restaurants claiming heritage from Alfredo di Lelio’s original.
Alfredo alla Scrofa has been run by the Di Lelio family since 1914. Il Vero Alfredo is operated by Alfredo’s grandchildren and great grandchildren, who split from the original restaurant.
Both serve classic fettuccine alfredo tableside, with suited waiters tossing golden pasta in gleaming bowls. A taste of history for travelers seeking the origins of an Italian food icon.
While chicken alfredo has evolved from its early roots, a century later we can thank Alfredo di Lelio’s creativity in difficult circumstances for one of the most popular creamy pasta dishes today. The King of Fettuccine’s legacy lives on.
Try your hand at the authentic Fettuccine all’Alfredo
In the recipe published for fettuccine all’Alfredo by George Rector in 1927, he described the recipe for the pasta as “a kilo of flour, five egg yolks, a glass of water and a pinch of salt,” going on to say that it’s about how Alfredo makes the pasta that sets it apart, giving the sense that it’s not possible to replicate the dish. That’s not to say that countless recipe writers haven’t tried. Todd Coleman published his own attempt at an authentic fettuccine all’Alfredo in Saveur, if you want to give it a try. Golden spoon and fork, optional.
The Original Fettuccine Alfredo with No Cream
FAQ
Who made the first chicken alfredo?
The dish is named after Alfredo Di Lelio, a Roman restaurateur who is credited with its invention and popularization.
Is chicken alfredo a real Italian dish?
Fettuccine Alfredo, it turns out, is 100% Italian. To be fair, the original recipe is quite different from whatever you may find in the States. Italians have been eating Fettuccine Alfredo for over a century… They just didn’t know that’s what it was called!
How did chicken alfredo get to America?
It was at Pickfair that fettucine alfredo made its American debut. On their European honeymoon, Pickford and Fairbanks had dined at a trattoria in Rome owned by the charismatic chef Alfredo Di Lelio, and he served them his signature pasta, fettucine al triplo burro.
Why is Alfredo not popular in Italy?
Supposedly it’s not traditional Italian food because it doesn’t have a recipe (despite having a fixed number of ingredients that everyone uses) and is only fed to sick children but also it’s a “general comfort food” that many people eat. Italian food culture never fails to amuse.