Back in my days of super-high metabolism and super-picky eating habits (aka the 80’s), fettucine alfredo was my go-to choice at Italian restaurants. I don’t order it very often anymore (a lot of restaurant versions aren’t good enough to justify the fat/calories/etc), but I was intrigued when I saw this recipe in the “quick and easy” section of Gourmet a few years ago. Who knew it was so easy and fast? Well, probably Italian people. But not me.

As you can probably imagine, this is not diet food. But it is easy, fast and good — definitely better than takeout. And you can always add something green on top if you’re into nutrients. I used broccolini and green noodles this time because it made me feel better. You could also try adding some nutmeg, roasted garlic and/or cooked spinach.

Since I tend to associated fettucine alfredo with the term “heart attack on a plate,” I just compared it to some take-out options. One serving of this has about the same amount of fat as half of a small Domino’s pepperoni pizza, and less than a “little cheeseburger” from Five Guys (that’s without fries!). Plus, you can have this on the table in 20 minutes.

Come on. You know you need some more parmesan cheese in your life.

Fettucine alfredo (From Gourmet, serves 4)
9 ounces dry fettucine noodles
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling on top

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. (Start preparing vegetables, if you’re using them*) While waiting for water to boil, combine cream and butter in a large skillet or medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and add a pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Cook pasta just until al dente, then reserve about 1/2 cup cooking water and drain the pasta.

Stir the fettucine, parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup of the cooking water into the cream-butter mixture until pasta is coated in sauce. Add more water if necessary. Serve immediately.

*I sauteed the broccolini in a little olive oil with some garlic, but I should have steamed or blanched it first. Make it even easier by microwaving some frozen broccoli and stirring it into the finished pasta.