Alfredo alla Scrofa is not just a restaurant; it’s a time capsule where the walls whisper tales of Hollywood greats and culinary magic. Nestled in Rome, this establishment houses portraits of luminaries like John Wayne, Tony Curtis, Kirk Douglas, Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, and even Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks during their honeymoon.
“La Dolce Vita,” said Mario Mozzetti, owner of Alfredo alla Scrofa. “This is what we do here every day.”
The secret behind the restaurant’s enduring appeal lies in its recipe for Fettuccine Alfredo—a dish that has captivated stars and now serves as a culinary cornerstone between two rival restaurants: Alfredo alla Scrofa and Il Vero Alfredo.
Mozzetti, a third-generation mantecatore (“creamer”), explains how the pasta was born. His great-grandfather, Alfredo Di Lelio, stumbled upon this dish when his wife lost her appetite after giving birth to their child. The solution? A delicate egg noodle that takes longer to cut than cook.
“The key is in the cooking time,” said Mozzetti. “It’s about 30 seconds, not the usual three, four, five minutes.” He places the pasta into a dish with some pasta water, just a touch of butter, and aged Parmesan cheese (24 months). Then he mixes it all together—almost like weaving—a dance, he calls it.
This simple recipe became legendary in 1920 during Mary Pickford’s honeymoon. The actress wrote, “Alfredo the great, yesterday, today, tomorrow, and for always, Alfredo.” Her love turned into a golden fork presented to Di Lelio by Fairbanks on their wedding day.
The original dish remains lost, swallowed up in history by Nazis in the ’40s and through World War II. Today, Mozzetti maintains that it was his uncle who purchased the restaurant from Di Lelio, setting the stage for a rivalry with the De Lelio family’s new venture.
Across town, Il Vero Alfredo stands as a testament to this feud. Operated by Chiara Cuomo (great-granddaughter of Alfredo de Lelio) and her mother, Ines de Lelio, it is decorated with more celebrity faces: Ava Gardner, Walt Disney, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Sylvester Stallone, and even Ronald Reagan.
Cuomo’s restaurant also features its own golden fork. When asked about the Nazi tale, she countered, “That’s a lie.”
The rivalry between the two restaurants has birthed an enduring legend in American kitchens as well. For decades, Fettuccine Alfredo was adapted with shrimps and cream for Hollywood glamour. Yet, Mozzetti maintains that this version is incorrect.
“I don’t like it,” Cuomo stated plainly. “With these additions, we lose the essence of the dish.”
Despite their differences, both restaurants agree on one point: Fettuccine Alfredo as served in America often misses its mark.
Mozzetti’s count shows more than 50 brands of Alfredo Sauce available stateside today. The pain of others profiting from this classic is palpable for Mozzetti—”It hurts very much,” he stated. “And people don’t know about our original location.”
Both restaurants stand as testaments to Italian-American culinary culture—a rivalry that has sustained and celebrated an iconic dish for a century.
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Anna Matranga produced this story.
Emanuele Secci edited the piece.
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