National Fettuccine Alfredo Day

National Fettuccine Alfredo Day, observed February 7th, celebrates the pasta dish of fettuccine tossed with butter and Parmesan cheese. The dish was created by Roman restaurateur Alfredo di Lelio, generally dated to around 1908 or 1914, as a simple recipe he reportedly developed to help his wife regain her appetite after childbirth. The original Roman version is notably simple: fresh fettuccine tossed tableside with butter and finely grated Parmesan, the sauce forming from the starchy pasta water, butterfat, and cheese emulsifying together, with no cream involved at all. The dish gained international fame after American celebrities, including Hollywood stars visiting Rome in the 1920s, dined at di Lelio's restaurant and brought word of it back to the United States. As it spread through American restaurants, the recipe was substantially adapted, most notably with the addition of heavy cream, garlic, and sometimes flour to thicken the sauce, creating the richer, creamier "fettuccine Alfredo" familiar in the U.S. today but quite different from what's typically served in Rome. On National Fettuccine Alfredo Day, people celebrate by making or ordering the dish, whether the rich American version or the lighter traditional Roman original.