Though often considered a symbol of Italian-American comfort food, Fettuccine Alfredo’s origins lie not in the bustling trattorias of New York or Chicago, but in early 20th-century Rome. It was there, in 1908, that Alfredo di Lelio, a Roman restaurateur, first stirred together a simple emulsion of butter and Parmigiano Reggiano with freshly cooked fettuccine, creating a dish that would come to define his name. As the story goes, he
