Mrs. Baker's Bites: Fettuccine Alfredo

I've had this recipe listed under the recipes tab for a while, but I hadn't done a post about it yet. There are so many variations you can do with this base recipe. You can add chicken, shrimp, or even nothing :-) You'll notice I used elbow noodles instead of fettuccine... it's what I had. We love all shapes of noodles around here. It truly doesn't matter which kind you use. I also used some left over grilled chicken. You can use chicken off of a rotisserie chicken, too. Or, throw some boneless skinless chicken breasts in a crock pot with some water or chicken broth and some Italian seasoning about 4 hours before you are wanting to prepare the meal. Boil a whole chicken and take the meat off; bake some chicken breasts; go buy some chicken from your grocer's deli and use that meat. SOOOOO many options for chicken! I'm not into shrimp so I've never made it that way. I know a lot of people like shrimp alfredo though. You can also add in broccoli, tomatoes, or mushrooms if you want. Oh! The possibilities!

-1 pint Heavy Whipping Cream
-1 stick of Butter (not margarine!)
-8 ounces shredded Parmesan Cheese*
-2 or 3 (3, because I kinda sorta love garlic) garlic cloves, minced (you can use about a teaspoon of garlic powder instead if ya want)
-salt and pepper to taste
-pinch of nutmeg
-1 package of fettuccine noodles
-fresh, chopped parsley (for garnish, optional)
Put the stick of butter and the minced garlic in a large pot over medium heat. Keep moving the butter around to make sure the garlic doesn't burn! When the butter is completely melted, allow the garlic and butter to simmer for just a minute or two. Add in the heavy cream and whisk together. (This is usually a good time to get your pasta boiling! Make according to directions on the package or box.) Bring to a boil. Add cheese and reduce heat to low. Keep stirring to make sure the cheese melts evenly and doesn't burn on the bottom of the pot. This is where you need to have a little patience. It will take just a little bit to get the cheese melted and the sauce thickened. Once cheese is melted, season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. I usually add a pretty good amount of pepper, but we love our pepper here :) Once pasta is done, you can add the noodles to the pot of sauce if you want them combined, or you can just spoon sauce over your pasta!
If you will be using chicken or shrimp, you have two options. You can mix it into the sauce or serve it on top of the noodles. Serving it separate is a good idea if you have people with different tastes in your family.
*I think the best Parmesan cheese for this recipe is the wedge of it that you actually shred yourself. You can use whatever kind you want, but I think the wedge just melts and tastes best.