Roasted Veggies in Alfredo Sauce on Fettuccine

Some dear friends were on a road trip from Seattle to Santa Barbara and I was delighted to be on their list of stops. Always an excuse to fire up the grill, open some wine and catch up. We had an amazing dinner of grilled tri-tip and shrimp, roasted vegetables and garlic bread. Yes, we did raid The Ark and enjoyed some fabulous wines. I thank you, my beloved friends, for indulging, sharing and including me on your incredible journey.

There were a few leftovers, easy to get rid of, but…there were a lot of leftover roasted veggies. I can eat those every day forever! I found some fettuccine in the cupboard and heavy cream and a block of Parmesan cheese in the refrigerator (staples in my book), which took me back to my days of undergraduate school in Southwestern Pennsylvania. My friend Whitney and I would make lunch in her apartment, off campus. It was really her recipe and I found it to be so gourmet! I’m not sure if we ever made it back to afternoon classes or if we just lounged, enjoying our full bellies and a couple of cheap beers.

The recipe was simple and I was reminiscent of it, thinking about those leftover roasted vegetables. I’ve made some slight changes, which I think are improvements, but here, I offer the original recipe AND my recent version.

Being in southwestern Pennsylvania, fresh produce was, well…not always available. But, when in season, fresh zucchini and white mushrooms were a must to make this meal. Boxed fettuccine, butter, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese completed the shopping list. Disclaimer: the Parmesan cheese came in a green cylindrical can and I don’t believe it was refrigerated, until opened.

Original Recipe:

2 fresh zucchini (washed and chopped)

1 8oz pack button or baby bell mushrooms (trimmed and chopped)

1 pint heavy cream (or whole milk and 1 Tblsp flour)

1 stick (1/4 cup) butter

1 cup Parmesan cheese

Salt & Pepper to taste

12 oz fettuccine noodles

In a large pot, bring water to boil. Add fettuccine noodles and cook according to package or to desired consistency.

Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium heat, add heavy cream (or whole milk and flour), whisk until bubbling and thickened. Add Parmesan cheese, keep whisking. Add vegetables and toss with spatula or tongs. Reduce heat and keep tossing until vegetables start to soften and cook.

Once noodles are cooked, strain and add to vegetable alfredo sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

This is delish just as is, but…if you have some roasted vegetables feel free to use them in the above recipe. I used roasted carrots, jalapenos, onions, asparagus, zucchini, squash, broccoli, garlic and mushrooms. I also added dried red pepper flakes and granulated garlic, Italian herbs and parsley to the sauce as well as a half cup of home made chicken stock (that I just happened to be making at the same time), to thin the very thick sauce I seemed to create.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have enjoyed sharing it and experiencing the memory from oh, so long ago!

Bon Appetit