The secret really is in the sauce y'all! We've been cooking and baking a lot around our house during this downtime with our "shelter in place" orders due to the COVID-19 virus. Based on the posts in my Instagram feeds, so is everyone else, lol. I mean, what else is there to do when you've exhausted all of your Netflix, Hulu, Starz and Apple TV series, cleaned the house, closets, patios, refrigerator, caught up on work...cooking and baking is next, right?? I think the COVID-19 weight gain(like the Freshmen 10 during the first year of college) may actually be a real thing! Frightening isn't it, lol.

We are making the best of the downtime and enjoying our time together and I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to have everyone home, just wish it was under different circumstances. We want to do our part in keeping everyone safe and healthy and so for now staying at home as much as possible seems to be what helps the most. We can do that and if that comes with a weight gain of a few pounds, well, then I guess that's ok and we can worry about that later once we are past this. And in the meantime, we are really enjoying all of these recipes that we have wanted to try for months! 

Today on my Instagram stories, I posted a pic of my daughter Cara's chickpea pasta with her homemade Alfredo sauce. It was delicious!! And super easy to make too. Several years ago, way back actually, I attended culinary classes at a local college, back in the day when I was running a catering company. One of my favorite take aways from culinary school was learning how to make perfect sauces. And one of my favorite tricks to the perfect sauce was adding a pinch of nutmeg to the Alfredo. Yum!! It's magic I promise!

So the next time you are craving a little something rich and comforting, try a pasta with a homemade Alfredo sauce and add a pinch of nutmeg. You'll love it!

Kim's Easy Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients

6 Tablespoons salted butter

1 Tablespoon garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1.5 cups milk

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 cup Romano cheese, grated

Salt and pepper to taste

A pinch of nutmeg - the secret ingredient for a rich, indulgent sauce

1 lb fettuccine or pasta of your choice

Parsley to garnish - optional

Instructions

1. Boil the pasta according to package directions.

2. Begin the sauce as the water heats for the pasta. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for one minute.

3. Whisk in the flour. Gradually adding the heavy cream, then the milk, whisking constantly to avoid sticking and burning the mixture. This is where I throw in a pinch of nutmeg and add salt and pepper to taste. 

4. Reduce the heat to low once the sauce has begun to bubble. It will continue to thicken as it simmers. 

5. Slowly sprinkle in the cheeses and continue to whisk. 

6. Drain the pasta and carefully mix it into the sauce until well incorporated. The pasta will absorb the sauce and it will get even thicker. 

7. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve piping hot!