Christmas Fettuccine

The Holiday is a romantic comedy from iconic writer and director Nancy Meyers. It’s about two women on opposite sides of the globe who swap houses at Christmas. Throughout the course of their holiday vacations, they both discover that a change of address (and a bowl of fettuccine) can change their lives.

In one pivotal scene in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve, Iris (played by Kate Winslet) and Miles (played by Jack Black) find themselves depressed and bemoaning their relationship woes. The two of them bond over falling for the wrong person. After a bit of wallowing, Iris says, “So how about some food … shall I make us a little Christmas fettuccine?” What better way to lift your spirits than with a big bowl of pasta?

What is Christmas fettuccine?

While the exact Christmas fettuccine recipe isn’t shown in The Holiday, I imagine how Iris might have made it that Christmas Eve in Los Angeles. Instead of doing a classic Alfredo sauce, I wanted to play around a little bit. We know Iris opened a bottle of vodka since she offered Miles a glass to drown his sorrows. So, I figured a take on a vodka sauce may be fun.

I added some garlic and lemon for added interest, plus freshly grated Parmesan cheese for richness. The result is a pasta with all the best elements of fettuccine Alfredo, vodka sauce and lemon-garlic scampi sauce in one indulgent holiday dish.

The moral of the story is this: When life gives you lemons, make this Christmas fettuccine recipe and serve it with a glass of crisp champagne.

Ingredients for Christmas Fettuccine

Kristina Vänni for Taste of Home

• Fettuccine: If you can’t find fettuccine at the store, try linguini, mafaldine, pappardelle or spaghetti. Each of these pasta shapes is similar enough to fettuccine that it’d make a great substitute in a pinch.
• Butter: Butter softens the garlic and cooks the flour to make a roux so the sauce can get nice and thick.
• Flour: We just want the Christmas Eve fettuccine sauce to thicken a little bit, so you need only 1 tablespoon flour to help make the roux.
• Garlic: This Christmas fettuccine recipe is for garlic lovers! To make the pungent sauce, you’ll need four cloves of minced garlic. If you want to use more, go for it.
• Cream: To make this sauce rich and creamy, you’ll need 1 cup half-and-half. We don’t recommend swapping in any other type of milk or cream or you’ll throw off the fat percentage and make the sauce too watery or too thick.
• Vodka: While vodka is not common in fettuccine, we used a bit of it to give this recipe a vodka sauce flair.
• Lemon juice: This recipe contains many heavy, rich ingredients, so we freshened it up with 1/4 cup lemon juice. Use fresh lemon juice instead of bottled lemon juice for the best and brightest flavor.
• Parmesan: Grate the Parmesan fresh from the wedge for the best flavor. Pre-shredded Parmesan is tossed with anti-caking agents like cellulose, which diminishes the cheese’s nuanced flavor.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the pasta

Kristina Vänni for Taste of Home

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. When done, drain and reserve at least 1/4 cup pasta water for later. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce.

Step 2: Make the sauce

Kristina Vänni for Taste of Home

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and flour and cook until browned, one to two minutes. Slowly add the half-and-half, about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking to incorporate after each addition. Whisk in the vodka and lemon juice and simmer until thickened, four to five minutes. Add the Parmesan cheese, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir to melt the cheese and combine.

Step 3: Combine the sauce and pasta

Kristina Vänni for Taste of Home

Add the cooked fettuccine to the pan and toss with the sauce. Slowly add some of the reserved pasta water, up to 1/4 cup, to thin out the sauce to the desired consistency. Serve the pasta with additional freshly grated Parmesan cheese and twists of freshly ground black pepper as desired.

Recipe Variations

• Add a bit of nutmeg: My favorite way to dress up a cheesy pasta dish is with a teeny, tiny bit of freshly grated nutmeg. A strong, sharp cheese, such as Parmesan, unexpectedly pairs with nutmeg’s warm, woodsy flavor.
• Toss in a protein: Bulk up this dish with your favorite meat or seafood! Chicken Alfredo is an iconic dish, as well as shrimp fettuccine Alfredo. Sausage would work well here too.
• Make it vegan: Are you a plant-based eater, but still want to take part in the Christmas Eve fettuccine fun? Make our vegan Alfredo sauce. It’s creamy and buttery, without any dairy present. Just make sure your pasta is vegan too.

How to Store Christmas Fettuccine

To store leftovers, let the pasta cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container. It can be kept in the fridge for up to four days.

How do you reheat Christmas fettuccine?

To reheat Christmas Eve fettuccine, place your desired amount in a saucepan set over medium heat. Add a splash of water to the pan and slowly heat up the pasta, stirring it occasionally. The pasta is ready once it’s heated through and the sauce is bubbly.

Christmas Fettuccine Tips

Is fettuccine a Christmas Eve tradition?

In Italy, Christmas Eve is often a day when no meat is eaten, so a pasta dish such as fettuccine is a traditional option. In southern Italy, seafood dishes are on the menu as part of the Feast of the Seven Fishes. This Christmas fettuccine would be great with the addition of some sauteed shrimp.

In my family, Christmas Eve was always so busy and hectic that it was hard to find time to prepare and sit down for a big, fancy meal. (We saved that for Christmas Day!) So, we often had something easy and indulgent like a creamy pasta dish. If you’re busy but want a festive meal, I recommend making fettuccine a Christmas Eve tradition in your house.

What should I serve with Christmas fettuccine?

Several great side dishes for pasta would complement this Christmas fettuccine recipe. A vibrant Italian salad or roasted vegetables like broccoli, asparagus or honey-glazed carrots are perfect accompaniments. And who could say no to a thick loaf of garlic bread? Open a bottle of chardonnay, champagne or pinot noir, and dive in.

Where can I watch The Holiday?

The Holiday is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video or to rent on Apple TV. If you have TBS or TNT, the classic movie seems to air on repeat frequently throughout the Christmas season.