How to make Fettuccine Alfredo with Sous Vide Chicken Breast

Cream sauce is one of the five major sauces in Italian cuisine. It has a rich and creamy texture with a savoury and aromatic flavour. When paired with Fettuccine, it achieves an excellent sauce-coating effect.

Difference between Carbonara and Alfredo

Many people confuse Carbonara with Alfredo. Although the two sauces are similar in colour, there are actually significant differences between them. The biggest difference is the use of eggs. Carbonara is based on eggs and cheese, without milk or cream, so it essentially has very little sauce. Alfredo, on the other hand, doesn't contain eggs. Its sauce is based on butter, milk, cream, and cheese, resulting in a rich and creamy dairy flavour.

Therefore, the Carbonara offered in many restaurants today, which contains both eggs and cream, is not authentic Carbonara. At best, it's a fusion of Alfredo and Carbonara, which I call 'Alfrenara'. However, because Hong Kong people love sauce, and authentic Carbonara doesn't come with much sauce, therefore many restaurants add cream to make the pasta look more appealing.

The Carbonara offered by many restaurants, which contains both eggs and cream, is not authentic. In fact, it's a fusion of Alfredo and Carbonara, which I call 'Alfrenara'.

How to make Fettuccine Alfredo

Alfredo sauce is very easy to make, essentially just cooking all the ingredients until they thicken. After turning off the heat, mix it with Fettuccine and it's done. This time, I cooked a chicken breast separately to make this Fettuccine Alfredo look more substantial. The slow-cooked chicken breast is tender and pairs very well with the creamy white sauce and Fettuccine. If you don't have a slow cooker, you can bring a pot of water to a boil, turn off the heat, put in the chicken breast, cover with a lid, and let it soak for 7-8 minutes before taking it out. Why don't you give it a try!

Ingredients (serve 2)

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Chicken Breast	2 pcs
Fettuccine	200g
Garlic (chopped)	3 cloves
Unsalted Butter	20g
Milk	230ml
Heavy Cream	230ml
Parmesan Cheese	60g
Salt	1 tbsp
Ground Black Pepper	1 tbsp
Mixed Salad Leaves(optional)	to garnish

Steps

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1. Rub a small amount of olive oil on the chicken breast, then place it in a ziplock bag. Submerge the bag in water to expel the air, then seal it. Next, place the bag in water and sous vide at 58°C for 60 minutes (including the time it takes for the water to reach temperature). If you don't have a sous vide machine, you can bring a pot of water to a boil, turn off the heat, put in the chicken breast, cover with a lid, and let it soak for 7-8 minutes before taking it out.

2. When the chicken breast is almost done cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. Take a frying pan and set it over medium-low heat. Add butter and garlic, then sauté until fragrant.

4.　Add milk and heavy cream, then grate in 50-60 grams of Parmesan cheese. Mix well, allowing the cheese to slowly melt as you cook, and let the sauce gradually thicken.

5. When the sauce starts to form large bubbles, it indicates that it has thickened sufficiently. At this point, you can add a little salt and black pepper to taste (Parmesan cheese is already salty, so add salt gradually, tasting as you go and adding more if needed).

6. Return the Fettuccine to the pan, turn off the heat, and toss to combine. It's then ready to be served.

7. After cooking the chicken breast, pat it dry with kitchen paper. Heat a frying pan over medium heat, add a little oil, and place the chicken breast in the pan. Sear until the surface is lightly golden (about 50 seconds per side). During this process, you can add a little salt and black pepper. After searing, let it cool for a moment, then slice it.

8. Finally, place the sliced chicken breast on top of the wide noodles, and garnish with a small amount of salad greens.