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Quick Alfredo

Sometimes, it's hard to get to the grocery store.  I'm just going to put that out there.  Recently, I found myself in the situation where I had a box of pasta in the cupboard and a stick of butter in the fridge (along with a few unidentifiable items in plastic containers, but as a pseudo-chef, I should likely not admit to having such things in my home).

As I was reaching for the butter, I noticed that I had a bit of whipping cream, and a shaker can of Parmesan cheese (don't judge).  After smelling the cream to make sure it was alright (it was on the verge, I kid you not, of being ready for the trash), I made a down and dirty version of Alfredo sauce.

Surprisingly it came out really well.  I have a bad habit of not measuring ... with this, just taste as you go and all will be well.  I'm giving ingredients and approximate measurements.

Down and Dirty Alfredo
 
1 cup whipping cream (I'm certain that half and half or milk will work just fine)
1 Tbsp. butter
1/4-1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (like I said, I just used the canned shaker)
Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste

Mix the cream and butter until just boiling (reduce the heat a bit), mix in the cheese in small amounts.  Stir constantly so you don't get cheese blobs, and instead get a nice creamy finish.  Once incorporated, add your spices and taste.  If you need more cheese, add more cheese.  If you need more spice add in some red pepper flakes or some hot sauce.  There is no hard and fast rule with this.  I let mine cook down some to get a thicker sauce (stirring pretty much the entire time).  You can also start out with a roux to keep it thick.

I mixed cooked rigatoni right into the sauce.  Then filled a casserole dish halfway with pasta, sprinkled on some mozzarella, filled the rest of the casserole dish and sprinkled another layer of mozzarella over the top.  I baked at 425 just until the cheese was bubbling and starting to get browned.

Sorry I don't have any fancy (or not so fancy) pictures for this one.  At some point in the future, I may update and add pictures!

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