Fettuccini

This five-ingredient fettuccine takes the Alfredo concept and simplifies it down to a can of cream of mushroom soup, milk, Parmesan, butter, and noodles. Fifteen minutes, start to finish, with a creamy sauce that coats every strand.

Cream of mushroom soup is the shortcut that makes this work. It gives you a thick, clingy sauce base without needing to make a roux or reduce cream. Whisked smooth with milk and Parmesan, it melts into something that tastes richer than its humble origins suggest.

Toss the hot noodles in butter before combining with the sauce. That extra layer of fat coats each noodle so the soup-based sauce slides on smoothly instead of clumping. It also adds a clean, dairy richness that the soup alone doesn’t quite deliver.

This is weeknight cooking at its most practical. No special ingredients, no technique to master, and it hits the table before a delivery order could even arrive.

Kitchen Tips

• Stir the soup until completely smooth before adding milk; lumps in the base means lumps in the sauce
• Use freshly grated Parmesan for better melting and stronger flavor than the pre-grated kind
• Reserve a splash of pasta cooking water to thin the sauce if it gets too thick when tossed
• Serve immediately; this sauce thickens fast as it cools

Variations

• Garlic version: Sauté minced garlic in the butter before tossing with the noodles
• Chicken addition: Toss in diced cooked chicken for a more substantial meal
• Broccoli: Add steamed broccoli florets for color, nutrition, and crunch