100% Parmigiano (24 months aged)
70% Butter
25% Ice Water
1.5% Sodium Citrate (Optional, recommended for texture)
1.5% Lactose (Optional)
Steps
Start by measuring the parmigiano cheese, and either chopping into small pieces or starting with the largest side of a box grater. All other ingredients are scaled to the mass of the cheese. This is also the point to measure and add any of the optional ingredients.
Process the parmigiano and any optional ingredients in a food processor. Start with pulsing but then continue to run until you achieve the consistency of moderately fine breadcrumbs.
Then introduce the butter, already in moderate sized pieces and chilled. Once again start by pulsing the food processor, and then running until the cheese and butter are evenly distributed.
Lastly, measure some ice water and pour it into the food processor while running. Check to see that the water is incorporated into the mixture, and do some manual scraping and stirring. If necessary, continue to process until the mixture becomes a fairly smooth paste. It can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerated for at least a week or frozen for several months.
Recommended usage is 60g Alfredo paste for every 100g portion of fresh pasta. Recommended usage is 70-75g Alfredo paste for every 100g portion of dried pasta. To prepare the Alfredo dish, prepare pasta according to the package, or boil for 1.5-2 minutes for fresh pasta. Transfer the cooked pasta into a relatively large mixing bowl, and start adding the premeasured Alfredo paste in several installments. Continue to stir and toss, adding pasta water as necessary to achieve your desired consistency. You can even temporarily place the mixing bowl on top of the pasta water vessel. The emulsified sauce should form easily, and should be served immediately in warm bowls, with additional parmigiano grated on top if desired.
This Alfredo paste also makes an excellent addition to other pasta dishes, for finishing risotto, and potentially even for soups/stews.