Name: Sour Cream Fettuccine
Ingredients: 1 lb fettuccine noodles; 1 cup sour cream; 1 cup whipping cream; 2 tbsp margarine; grated Parmesan cheese; salt; pepper

Why it works: Parmesan cheese and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,322 recipes. Both carry ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓

Sour Cream Fettuccine

Ingredients

Directions

Make the sauce

Cook fettuccine until tender. Drain.
Meanwhile, mix sour cream, whipping cream and margarine in pan. Heat but don't boil.
Add Parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Toss and serve

Pour sauce over hot fettuccine and toss.
Sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley if desired.
Serve at once.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

369Calories

28 gProtein

25 gFat

9 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 6 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Parmesan Cheese	1 oz (28g)	110
Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	102
Yogurt	170g plain Greek	100
Cream	1 tbsp (15ml) heavy	51
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Parmesan cheese + peppertop 14% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together5,322 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Cream + parmesan cheesetop 17% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together1,566 recipes

Shared aroma: gamma-decalactone (peach, creamy).
Cream + peppertop 23% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together21,449 recipes

Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).

Cream and pepper barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 21,449 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Sour cream: Adds tang and a creamy, thick body to the sauce.
Whipping cream: Adds richness and helps the sauce stay smooth and coating.
Margarine: Adds fat for a glossy, rich mouthfeel in the sauce.
Parmesan cheese: Adds savory, salty flavor and helps thicken the sauce as it melts.
Fettuccine noodles: Provide the starchy base that the sauce clings to when tossed.

The step that matters

Heat the sauce without boiling. Dairy with sour cream can curdle or separate when it boils, so heating gently keeps the sauce smooth and creamy.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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Sour Cream Fettuccine