Rome responds to the Americans: a secret school for the real Fettuccine Alfredo

by Leonardo Samarelli

“There are passers-by, many of them Romans, who still stop in front of the sign and ask us: are you the place with the famous fettuccine? We thought it was an American dish,” reveals a chuckling Mario Mozzetti, who has owned the famous Alfredo alla Scrofa restaurant for the past forty years. The venue has earned its place in the history of Italian cuisine (and become incredibly well-known in the United States) thanks to the legendary Fettuccine Alfredo – a dish of just three ingredients: homemade fettuccine, 24-month Parmigiano Reggiano, and artisanal mountain butter – with more than a century of history. It has been passed down through generations of the Mozzetti family, who purchased the restaurant from the recipe’s original creator, Alfredo Di Lelio, in 1943 (Di Lelio later reopened in Piazza Augusto Imperatore as “Il Vero Alfredo”). In the 1980s, Mario Mozzetti took the reins, safeguarding the legacy of the name, which he proudly calls “an international venue, not a tourist trap as many mistakenly claim.”

New horizons: the school of the Mantecatore

Beyond refining and strengthening the identity of the Fettuccine Alfredo recipe, Mario Mozzetti has spent years promoting the figure of the mantecatore – the person responsible for the final creamy blending of the dish – a crucial role often misrepresented worldwide with poor-quality ingredients and faulty technique. Hence the idea – or rather, the realisation of a dream – to open a proper school for mantecatori, where both enthusiasts and professionals can learn the history, techniques, and “tricks of the trade” behind the iconic dish.

“The idea was sparked by a desire to bring together various fragments of Alfredo alla Scrofa’s history that made the fettuccine famous,” explains Mozzetti. “A dish that became an icon thanks to two great Hollywood actors, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, but over time has suffered from poor communication. With the opening of the school in 2026 in the underground spaces of the restaurant, I want to bring this dish back to its Roman roots, so that the mantecatore becomes the key to understanding and mastering Fettuccine Alfredo. Because there are no fettuccine without a mantecatore.”

Not just Fettuccine Alfredo

At the centuries-old restaurant on Via della Scrofa, attention to detail and ingredients has become increasingly central, as Mozzetti is keen to highlight: “Years ago, we went through a phase where we questioned everything, partly due to new culinary trends and techniques that changed the face of many Roman restaurants. We chose consecration – to honour everything done since the 1930s to today by opening historical archives and reinterpreting traditional recipes, which we occasionally include in our seasonal menus.”

An example? Boiled meatballs with salsa verde, or fried lamb cutlets – two staples that are always on the menu, along with the homemade maritozzo, a dish strongly championed by Massimiliano Sepe, head chef at Alfredo alla Scrofa since 2021. “We have so much history to pass on and share – it’s a responsibility,” says the Fondi-born chef. “That’s why, since arriving here, I’ve wanted to build a menu around the Fettuccine Alfredo, so that guests return to us to discover other dishes as well.” His words echo those of Mario Mozzetti: “The Fettuccine are an opportunity, a springboard to present our identity.”

A new space for wine

While the restaurant’s spaces have recently been revamped – preserving Alfredo’s historical memory with areas like the Sala dei Reali, where waiters currently practise the art of mantecatura, or the Hollywood Room, now restored and made more intimate – the most exciting update involves the underground level of the restaurant, built upon Roman cellars dating back over two thousand years.

“In June, we’ll inaugurate a room with a long wooden table where wine tastings and masterclasses will be held, surrounded by wine racks mounted on the walls,” comments Mozzetti. Over the years, the restaurant’s owner has continued investing in wine, as shown by the 500 labels on the list (with more to come) and the “Selezione Alfredo” – a curated collection of bottles sourced directly from across Italy’s wine regions.

Alfredo alla Scrofa – Via della Scrofa 104/a – 06 68806163 alfredoallascrofa.com