ENGLISH
REFERENCE

alfredo

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˌæɫˈfɹeɪdoʊ// al·fre·do

adj. a rich, white pasta sauce made with butter, cream, and Parmesan cheese. You usually see it served with long, flat noodles like fettuccine.

adj. referring to a pasta sauce composed of butter, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese. Typically used as a postpositive modifier or as part of a compound noun phrase.


SIMPLE

I ordered the fettuccine alfredo for dinner.

CONTEXTUAL

The chef prepared a classic alfredo sauce by slowly melting butter and whisking in freshly grated cheese until smooth.

COMPLEX

While traditional Italian recipes often rely on the emulsion of pasta water and butter, the Americanized alfredo version typically incorporates heavy cream to achieve its signature thick and velvety texture.

Origin

From Alfredo alla Scrofa, an Italian restaurant in Rome where the pasta dish fettuccine Alfredo was originally served, named after its founder Alfredo Di Lelio. Doublet of Alfred.

Usage

Often appears immediately after the noun it modifies, particularly 'fettuccine' or 'chicken'.

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