Pork and Fettuccine Alfredo -- Noodles for a Week That Asked Nothing Back

A quiet week. Sometimes a quiet week is the best gift. Karen's MRI was on Wednesday. They have the images and will read them by Friday of next week. Until then there is nothing to do. I am an engineer — I am trained to hate waiting without data — and yet this week I have forced myself into the stance of doing nothing. Waiting is the task. The task is to wait.

James has been extraordinary. I notice this the way you notice water only when you have been thirsty: not with drama but with a quiet awareness. He made dinner every night this week. He took over laundry. He answered the door when the grocery delivery came so I could keep working. On Wednesday night, the night of the MRI, he reached across the couch and took my hand and said, "Whatever happens with Karen, you're not alone in it. I'm in." I said, "I know." He said, "I know you know. I just wanted to say it out loud."

Work: Priya called me into her office and said the promotion had gone through calibration. It will be announced publicly on Monday. Senior Software Development Engineer. I will make significantly more money. I will also, she said, have significantly more responsibility. I said thank you. I was supposed to be more excited. I was as excited as I could be, which is not very excited, given.

I made jjajangmyeon on Saturday — black bean noodles, Korean-Chinese fusion, the sort of comfort food I used to order from Korean takeout and did not know how to make until I watched a video on Thursday while not thinking about Karen's MRI. The sauce is chunjang paste, pork belly, onion, zucchini, potato. The noodles are fat and chewy and swim in the glossy black sauce. James ate two bowls. I ate one and a half. It is a childhood food for a childhood I did not have, which is the recurring paradox of my Korean cooking — I am making dishes I was not raised on and recognizing them anyway.

No email from the database this week. It has been eight weeks. The average, I keep reminding myself, is around four to six months. I am still within the window. I am allowed to still be within the window. I am allowed to still be hoping.

Kevin called on Sunday to check in about Karen. He is planning to come up if the diagnosis is bad. I told him to wait. He said, "I'm waiting. I just want you to know I'm ready." He is thirteen months sober tomorrow. He did not mention that. I did not bring it up. He has learned not to make a big deal of the milestones because the milestones are not the point. The point is the Tuesday. The point is the meeting on Wednesday night. The point is the phone call on Sunday where he does not sound like he is using. I hear that voice and I rest.

The recipe this week is jjajangmyeon. Sticky, dark, heavy, comforting. A dish that looks like night and tastes like a reprieve.

The jjajangmyeon I made on Saturday was about noodles as comfort — fat, glossy, dark, grounding — and I keep coming back to that impulse all week: when everything else is suspended, you cook something that asks very little of you and gives a great deal back. This Pork and Fettuccine Alfredo is that dish for me on the nights I don’t have the bandwidth for anything Korean-Chinese fusion but still need something substantial and enveloping. James would eat it every week if I let him. Some weeks, I do.

Pork and Fettuccine Alfredo

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 12 oz fettuccine
• 1 lb pork tenderloin, thinly sliced into strips
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook fettuccine according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining. Drain and set aside.
2. Season and sear the pork. Pat pork strips dry and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork in a single layer and cook 3–4 minutes per side until lightly golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
3. Build the Alfredo sauce. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the butter to the same skillet. Once butter is melted, add minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant, stirring constantly. Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cream begins to thicken slightly.
4. Add the cheese. Reduce heat to low. Add Parmesan in two batches, stirring between additions until fully melted and the sauce is smooth. If the sauce feels too thick, stir in reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time until you reach a silky, coating consistency.
5. Combine and finish. Add the drained fettuccine to the skillet and toss to coat evenly. Nestle the cooked pork strips back in and gently fold together. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
6. Serve. Divide among bowls. Top with extra grated Parmesan and fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 720 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 38g | Carbs: 54g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 620mg