Here is one of our favourite recipes made with and supporting local British Columbia products and businesses – our Best Ever Blackened Chicken Alfredo. First off, a little history behind why this is our favourite and what makes it the Best Ever.

Steve, our Red Seal Chef was the kitchen leader of one of Earl’s flagship restaurants in Calgary during the early days of the chain’s massive success. I worked with him at Earl’s for a short time, too. We each shared a favourite meal while we worked there, that we called “Blackened Chicken Alfredo” which was punched in as: sub Blackened Chicken Breast | sub Fettuccine Alfredo. It was a match made in heaven, just like Steve and I are today. (Cue the sappiness… ❤️)

Best Ever Blackened Chicken Alfredo

Although Steve can’t remember for the life of him the blend of spices that went into the Earls blackening recipe, he has developed his own recipe for blackening seasoning. His Alfredo sauce recipe is also downright delicious, which you can find at the bottom of this page.

What is Fettuccine Alfredo?

When we were purchasing ingredients from our local Italian Market in Kelowna, Valoroso Foods, we were surprised to learn that Fettuccine Alfredo, as we know it today, isn’t even Italian. A little history…

Fettuccine Alfredo, also known as pasta al burro e parmigiano, is a traditional Italian pasta dish that originated in Rome. The dish was created by Alfredo di Lelio, an Italian restauranteur, in the early 20th century. According to legend, Di Lelio created the dish as a way to tempt his wife, who had lost her appetite during pregnancy, to eat. He served her a simple dish of pasta tossed with butter and Parmesan cheese, and the dish was a hit.

Di Lelio began serving the dish at his restaurant, Alfredo alla Scrofa, in Rome, and it quickly gained popularity among locals and tourists alike. In 1927, the famous Hollywood couple Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford visited the restaurant and they were so impressed by the dish that they brought the recipe back to the United States, where it became a popular dish in American-Italian cuisine.

In Italy, the dish has undergone many variations over time, but the traditional recipe still remains the most popular. The dish contains only three ingredients, pasta, butter and parmesan cheese, and it is characterized by its simplicity and rich taste.

In North America, however, Alfredo sauce is often made with heavy cream, additional cheese and may include ingredients such as garlic, herbs and is often served with chicken or seafood. The North American version is often considered more rich and creamy than the traditional Italian version.

We also discovered a brand new type of pasta while shopping at Valoroso called Bucatini.

The Secret to the Sauce

Steve insists on only using the best ingredients to make the best Alfredo Sauce.

Use Fresh Garlic

Steve cringes every time I pull the prepared garlic from the fridge. If he’s cooking, only fresh BC Garlic will do, when available.

Use Fresh Parmigiano Reggiano instead of Processed Parmesan

Parmigiano Reggiano and Parmesan are both types of hard, aged cheese that are made from cow’s milk, however, there are some key differences between the two.

Parmigiano Reggiano is a protected designation of origin (PDO) cheese, which means it can only be produced in a specific region of Italy – Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont, Lombardy and the Venice provinces. It is made from raw milk, and it is aged for a minimum of 12 months. The cheese has a hard, granular texture and a complex, nutty flavor that becomes sharper and more pronounced with age.

Parmesan, on the other hand, is a general term used to describe any cheese that is similar in taste and texture to Parmigiano Reggiano. It can be produced anywhere in the world and can be made from pasteurized milk, and it is aged for a shorter period of time. The texture is less granular and it has a milder flavor.

In other words, Parmigiano Reggiano is the authentic and traditional cheese that can only be produced in a specific region of Italy, whereas Parmesan is a generic term used to describe similar cheeses made anywhere in the world, and it is usually less expensive and milder in flavor.

This difference alone will elevate your Alfredo Sauce to the Best Ever Blackened Chicken Alfredo you have had.

Use Farm Fresh BC Chicken

We love buying local BC Chicken from Johnny’s Fresh Meats and Deli in Kelowna. which is sourced from a family farm in Salmon Arm, BC called FarmCrest.

“We offer Canada’s first verified non-GMO chicken. Our chicken is 100% natural, locally grown on our farm in Salmon Arm. Everything we do at Farmcrest Foods is designed to bring you the freshest, healthiest, best–tasting chicken, just as nature — and our families — intended. Our chickens are raised in a safe, comfortable environment that honours their natural instincts. Our priority is to provide our birds with the highest animal welfare and supply British Columbians with high quality poultry.”

Buying local BC chicken can have several benefits, including:

1. Supporting local farmers: By purchasing chicken from local farmers, you are supporting the local economy and helping to sustain small businesses.
2. Fresher and healthier: Local chicken is likely to be fresher and healthier than chicken that has been transported long distances.
3. Better for the environment: Buying local chicken reduces the amount of fossil fuels used for transportation, thus having a lower environmental impact.
4. Knowing where your food comes from: By purchasing chicken from local farmers, you can learn more about how the chicken is raised and what it is fed, providing more transparency in the food system.
5. Increased food security: Buying local food can help to build a more resilient food system, by reducing dependence on long-distance food transportation.

Enjoy our Blackened Chicken Alfredo Recipe!