For years I thought that Fettuccine Alfredo was a really complicated and time-consuming dish to make. Back in the early 90s when I was in art school, this guy (a fellow student) invited my friend and I to his house for Fettuccine Alfredo. My friend had a seemingly endless stream of male admirers, a perk for me at times like these.

We traveled in a pair anyhow, my friend and I. We both wore Posner Ripe Raisin lipstick, I because it was cheap, and she because it probably horrified her parents. I spent hours applying mine symmetrically, she dashed it on like Robert Smith from The Cure—I was never sure if it was deliberate or if her mind was elsewhere when she did her makeup.

We wore funny, puckered-cotton, kids mumu dresses we’d found in a dumpster, I because they were free, and she because her parents would never approve. Our shoes were perfectly intact 1940s heels from a warehouse downtown that sold them cheap, because of their quadruple A width, which you could make work if you sized up a bit. We wore black eyeliner, hers on the top lids, mine on the bottom. We had paint on an exposed body part, at any given time.

The guy’s house was lovely. A hundred years old with soaring ceilings, flooded with evening light. We sat at his kitchen island and drank oversized glasses of red wine while he cooked… for ages! He whisked and simmered until evening was fully and completely gone.

When we finally sat down to eat, the Fettuccine Alfredo was the best thing we’d ever tasted. Clearly worth the hours of stirring and prep. I thought: maybe I’ll make this one day. But I’ve never really felt compelled to cook something that takes all day, and isn’t cake.

When my kids asked the other night for that pasta with the white sauce—which it seems they’ve been eating when they’re not with me—I sighed and looked up the recipe prepared to say no, due to time constraints. The recipe I found said: cooking time: 15 minutes. Fifteen minutes! That poor guy tried so hard, and we didn’t even sleep over.

• Fettuccine Alfredo •
from the New York Times
serves 6

Salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 large egg yolk
1 pound fresh fettuccine (linguini or thick spaghetti work fine too)
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Freshly ground pepper to taste.

Bring 6 quarts generously salted water to a boil.

While the water heats, melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; saute until fragrant and sizzling, about 2 minutes. Whisk the cream with the egg yolk in a bowl until blended; pour into the garlic butter. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir until hot but not boiling. Keep warm over low heat.

Cook the pasta, until al dente. Reserve some cooking water, then drain in a colander, shaking out excess water. Pour hot pasta into the cream mixture and toss to coat (still over low heat). Add the cheese and keep tossing gently until cream is mostly absorbed. Season with salt and pepper. If sauce is absorbed too much, toss with a little pasta water. Serve immediately, with a simple salad.