Paul Newman’s Go-To Pasta Dinner Was a Total Classic

On a chilly winter evening, few things are as comforting as a warm bowl of pasta topped with homemade sauce. A good pasta dish is a celeb-favorite meal, too: We’ve seen Stanley Tucci share his simple bolognese recipe, Valerie Bertinelli dish on her mom’s lasagna and Jennifer Garner spill about her go-to four-ingredient pasta dish. Still, it’s not every day we see the humble-but-classic fettuccine Alfredo get the love it deserves.

But for actor Paul Newman, this creamy and cheesy pasta dish wasn’t just a classic—it was a signature dish, which he called Fettuccine Alfredo a la Newman.

In the late ’90s book Newman’s Own Cookbook, Newman shared his classic recipe for fettuccini Alfredo, admitting the dish has “never been credited with any dietary virtues, only gustatory (appealing to the sense of taste) ones.” We might have to disagree with the actor on that front—fettucine Alfredo pairs well with roasted veggies or protein-packed grilled chicken, so you can always add something nutritious to your cheesy plate. Newman also concedes that his version of the pasta dish is “slightly different” from most fettuccine Alfredo recipes.

“It has less butter but more cream than usual, an egg yolk (which makes up for the missing butter) and peas,” he writes. “If we hadn’t pointed it out to you, you probably wouldn’t have even known the butter wasn’t there.”

What’s more, the ingredients for Newman’s Fettuccine Alfredo recipe, which serves six, are pretty simple. Here’s what you need to gather to make it: fettuccine pasta, unsalted butter, frozen baby peas, dry white wine, a lemon, heavy cream, an egg yolk, grated Parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper and a bit of chopped flat leaf parsley for an optional garnish.

The dish itself requires only a few steps to put together. Simply cook the pasta in boiling water according to package instructions and work on the sauce while the pasta cooks. For the Alfredo sauce, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, then add the peas and cook for just a minute.

Add the white wine and lemon juice to the pan and let it simmer until the mixture reduces by half. Add the cream and cook for about five minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken and almost coats the back of a spoon. Next, remove the pan from heat and gently whisk in the egg yolk. Then, add the cheese, salt and pepper, whisking rapidly to combine.

Once the fettuccine is cooked and drained, quickly toss it in the sauce and garnish with the parsley, if using. Serve with a little extra Parmesan cheese, and don’t be afraid to get creative with other toppings, like freshly grilled proteins or some sauteed veggies.

While this pasta dish isn’t something you’d want to eat for dinner every single night, it definitely sounds like a stunner for a cozy Sunday night supper or a dinner party with a few friends. Pair the pasta with something easy, like our Chickpea Caesar Salad, and settle in for a truly tasty evening.