Fettuccine Alredo with Kale + Walnut Pesto and Crispy Cauliflower [Christmas Fettuccine]
Christmas kind of came + went this year, and day 1 post holiday I’m a little shocked it’s already over. This year, the holidays were spent in our little studio apartment (probably the only holiday we’ll share here) + Christmas 2022 was just a really happy time at our house. Despite foregoing our usual traditions - no tree + no Christmas card this season - we just had a really fun + really festive time. Lots of holiday food went down in our tiny kitchen, including an assortment of holiday cookies for cute little cookie trays - our first time putting something like that together for our neighbors. So many holiday movies, a really good Christmas meal for just us two that I’m stoked to re-create in 2023, lots of appreciating neighborhood lights, and lots oof prioritizing quality time together. I can look back at all our photo + reflect on a really happy holiday season, and I’m feeling so lucky for the memories made this year.
Christmas eve + Christmas day we’re dedicated family days, and we snuck in one last little holi-date for just us two on Christmas Eve-eve - whipped up my favorite Fettuccine Alredo with Kale + Walnut Pesto and Crispy Cauliflower for a cozy dinner before the family festivities got underway. After a busy day spreading Christmas cheer to neighbors + some business peeps, and sneaking out for a little happy hour, I’m happy and impressed we pulled this off to cap off the day. But it was perfect - a little late night dinner + one last holiday flick for us two, and this favorite holiday meal.
A traditional Christmas meal
I made this pasta 3 years ago for a Christmas eve spent with my parents + grandma, and it’s become my signature Christmas Fettuccine. That year, I volunteered myself to do a lot of cooking for the fam, all of which I am quite proud of, but I comically remember this as being the only thing I made that my grandma enjoyed. It makes me giggle just to think about it, but simply put it’s just a damn good pasta. Creamy + rich alfredo sauce just sticks to the noodles, and it’s the shining star of the whole thing. I religiously reference the Pioneer Woman’s alfredo recipe - it’s simple and always so good. The key - like so important you can’t forget - cook it low. LOW LOW LOW. I have definitely been in impatient mode making this in the past, and it leads to broken sauce. Which is literally so un appetizing, and such a disappointment when you really want a good, beautiful bowl of pasta. You want to keep your burner on virtually the lowest setting - letting the cream warm slowly + butter melt over quite some time, stirring pretty consistently, and the two kind of just melt into each other. Then when you add the parm, you want to do it low and slow as well - not falling into the trap that you need to crank up the heat to make it melt in (it’s the WORST idea). Just small handfuls at a time, letting it mix in, and trust that in time, the grainy texture will go away.
Tip #2 - pour the sauce over the pasta while it’s hot + the pot remains over low or no heat. The heat of the noodles just helps it get super buttery + smooth without putting you at risk for the sauce to separate.
the veggies
The kale pesto + cauliflower compliment the creamy sauce perfectly!
Kale pesto is a combination of curly kale, basil, garlic and walnuts. Literally the easiest thing ever - throw it all into a food processor + voila - pesto. This pesto has tons of fresh kale + herb flavor taking the lead, and a light grainy texture. Goes perfect with a sikly smooth alfredo sauce.
The cauliflower - I mean when isn’t roasted cauliflower a good idea? Especially at our house - cauliflower is for sure going down as the no. 1 used ingredient in out kitchen in 2023. I love the pairing of salt + a hot paprika on crunchy cauliflower. It’s so simple + really satisfying. Jordan + I are always sneaking little nuggets of charred cauli right off the pan as we cook.
This holiday season was a balance of special moments for just us two + partaking in all the famiily fun. Reflecting on it all, this felt like the year we balanced it best. My biggest lesson being to embrace the family time + cherish the small moments, or the “average” nights in. Make the special meals on a Tuesday, take the long way home to see Christmas lights, have the holiday cocktails on a usually “non-drinking” night. Just making the most of the opportunities we had to do our own holiday things made time spent with larger famiily feel more special + more present. I wanted to embrace the family as much as our own time together, and our somewhat annual Christmas Fettuccine felt like the perfect finale for our own 2022 holi-dates, and I’m glad we made the effort to squeeze in one last special night in on Christmas eve eve.
For the kale pesto
6-8 cloves garlic
1 bunch curly pesto
1 c. raw walnuts
1/2 c. basil
1/4 c EVOO (plus more if needed)
Salt + pepper
For the alfredo
EVOO
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Salt + pepper
1 stick of butter
1 c. heavy cream
1 package of linguine
2 c. parmesan
Preheat the over to 375.
Start by making the pesto. Add all the ingredients except for the EVOO + seasonings to the food processor, and puree. When it looks like grainy sand, add in the EVOO and a pinch of salt + pepper. Puree, adding in another tablespoon or 2 if you want a thinner texture. Cover + set aside.
For the cauliflower, toss the florets with about 2 tbsp EVOO, the paprika, and a pinch of salt + pepper. Spread on a foil lined baking sheet, and bake for 40-45 minutes - they should be a crispy golden brown.
Simultaneously place a small sauce-pan over low heat + a large pot of salted water over medium heat. In the small sauce pan, add the butter + cream for the sauce. Stir consistently, letting the butter melt + cream warm up with a “low + slow mindset.” Add in a pinch of salt + pepper. When the butter has melted, add in 1 1/2 cups of the parmesan a pinch at time - letting the cheese melt before adding in another pinch. Stir the sauce constantly as the cheese melts in to make sure it doesn’t burn at the bottom of the pan. Increase the heat to medium low if necessary to slightly bump up the heat and get the cheese to melt - making sure the sauce doesn’t boil, simmer - remaining a moderate heat.
As you melt the cheese into the sauce, crank the pot of water to high, bring to a boil, and add in the pasta. When cooked to al dente, drain the pasta and keep the pasta in the pot over low heat. Sprinkle the remaining parm over the top of the noodles, and pour the sauce over the top. Stir to coat the noodles.
Serve the noodles with a dollop of the pesto on top, cauliflower piled to the side of the bowl, + some red pepper flakes and leftover parmesan over the top.