Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta
- 400 g fettuccine, dried
- 4000 ml water
- 25 g salt
Sauce Base
- 300 g red onions, thinly sliced
- 45 g unsalted butter, cubed
- 15 ml olive oil
- 1 g ground mace
- 60 ml dry white wine
- 120 ml heavy cream, room temperature
Finish
- 60 g walnuts, roughly chopped
- 40 g parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 5 g fresh parsley, chopped
- black pepper
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 539 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbohydrates
- 36 g
- Fat
- 37 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 2591 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 16 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 10 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Cholesterol
- 65 mg
- Potassium
- 354 mg
- Calcium
- 225 mg
- Iron
- 3.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 42 mg
- Phosphorus
- 143 mg
- Zinc
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 227 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 5 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.5 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 25 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.06 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.12 mg
- Niacin
- 0.2 mg
- Folate
- 19 mcg
- Water
- 1091 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the chopped walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast, shaking the pan frequently, for 3-5 minutes until fragrant and slightly darkened. Remove immediately to a cool plate to stop cooking.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add fettuccine and cook according to package directions until al dente (usually 1-2 minutes less than full cook time). Reserve 120ml of starchy pasta water before draining.
While pasta boils, wipe out the skillet. Add butter and olive oil over medium heat. Once melted, add the sliced red onions and a pinch of salt. Sauté gently for 8-10 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent, but not heavily browned.
Stir in the ground mace and toast for 30 seconds until aromatic. Pour in the white wine to deglaze, scraping up any fond from the bottom of the pan. Let the liquid reduce by half.
Reduce heat to low. Pour in the heavy cream and simmer gently for 2 minutes until slightly thickened. Season with freshly cracked black pepper.
Transfer the drained pasta directly into the skillet with the sauce. Toss vigorously to coat strands. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water 15ml at a time until a silky consistency is reached.
Remove from heat. Stir in half the toasted walnuts and half the Parmesan cheese. Garnish with remaining nuts, cheese, and parsley. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Mace is the lacy outer covering of the nutmeg seed. It shares the same flavor profile but is subtler, warmer, and more complex. If unavailable, use half the amount of freshly grated nutmeg.
- Do not caramelize the onions to a dark brown; the goal is 'sweating' them to sweetness while retaining some structure and color contrast.
- For a deeper autumnal flavor, substitute the white wine with dry Marsala.
- Using pasta water is crucial for the sauce emulsion; the starch helps bind the cream and butter to the noodles.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Sauce may thicken; loosen with a splash of water when reheating.
Reheating: Gently warm in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water.
Troubleshooting
Sauce is split or oily
Cause: Heat was too high after adding cream or cheese
Fix: Whisk in a tablespoon of warm water rapidly to re-emulsify
Prevention: Keep heat low (simmer, do not boil hard) once dairy is added
Cultural Context
While not a specific regional classic, this dish draws heavily on Northern Italian traditions (particularly Veneto and Lombardy) where sweet onions, dairy, and warm spices often replace the tomato-heavy sauces of the south. It exemplifies the 'cucina bianca' (white cooking) aesthetic favored in colder months.
