Fettuccini alfredo is not traditional Italian cuisine.
Spaghetti and meatballs? Quintessential Italian cuisine. Lasagna? Same. Fettuccini Alfredo, on the other hand, is not traditional Italian fare. In fact, the cheesy, creamy Alfredo pasta that so many of us have enjoyed at Olive Garden or other Italian restaurants in the United States is not a common dish in Italy itself. The pasta recipe didn’t even originate until 1914, when a chef named Alfredo di Lelio created it as a trademark menu item at his eponymous restaurant, Alfredo. Alfredo di Lelio eventually opened a restaurant in New York, where his dish because famous and was quickly imitated and replicated by other chefs. However, in Italy, Fettuccini Alfredo remains Alfredo di Lelio’s recipe and most chefs have not added it to their menus.