An on-the-nose example of the sort of indulgence that typified the Italian-American palate, fettuccine Alfredo is a heavy, filling, laden dish that may check more "comfort food" boxes than any other.
Growing up, my brother was a fervent proponent of fettuccine Alfredo. No matter the restaurant we visited, he'd order it off the menu. There was no food — aside from maybe our dad's renowned tuna — that satisfied him as much, and he could eat it at a greasy spoon, a hole in the wall or fancy-schmancy restaurant. His love affair with fettuccine Alfredo was soon eclipsed by another Italian American stalwart (that of penne alla vodka, of course), but for a time there, fettuccine Alfredo and my brother were synonymous.
