Well, I cook for many people--picky I can deal with if it is they-know-what-they-are-talking-about-and-appreciate-foods-and-flavors picky. If it's the I-don't-like-this and I-don't-like-that, uh-uh.
I make alfredo (on the rare times I make it--a bit too rich for me to do often) as a pan sauce and a la minute, the way I make many Italian sauces, even many tomato ones. I don't measure but I can tell you that I start with a stick of butter at room temp and 2 half-pints of heavy, also getting toward room temp. Have a nutmeg and grater available and the white peppermill.
I use fresh homemade egg pasta (store-bought is fine but make sure it's an egg pasta). Generously salted water gets boiling in a large pot and the 1/2 the butter slowly melts in a large sauté pan (if you want slowly sweat a little garlic here; don't let it brown). While the water is coming to a boil I grate the cheese. Do not buy packaged pre-grated cheese and do not grate it with a processor. Grate with a fine hard cheese grater. It should be fluffy. You'll want about 2 cups (but leave out the grater and cheese for passing after serving).
Boil a pound of pasta and as soon as it is just about to be
al dente immediately drain it and add it to the butter. Raise the heat to med and toss well. Add the 1/2 of the remaining butter and half the cheese. Toss well. Grate in just a touch of nutmeg (or add a tiny pinch if using already ground) and a turn or two of the white peppermill plus a little salt. Toss well then add 1/2 the remaining cheese. Toss again and, if necessary, allow a moment or two to pass so that the pasta absorbs more sauce if it hasn't already. Adjust salt. Toss briefly then immediately plate, topping each portion with a little of the remaining cheese. Pass the cheese and grater around in case anyone wants more.
A mozz sauce is not one I'd do myself, but you could simply make a 2-cup white sauce and then work in the cheese. Make the white sauce with the roux on the somewhat lighter side. (To add some flavor, consider, simmering the milk with a quartered small onion and a small bay leaf, covered, just till the onion is soft. Discard the onion and bay, let the milk cool slightly, then use it to build your sauce from your roux.) Season with white pepper and salt then remove from the heat after the sauce has tightened as much as yu'd like, (but leave the burner on, though very low). Stir in some grated mozz till it melts, and to give it some cheese flavor, stir in a little grated Parm as well (mozz being so bland). Start with probably 3/4-1 c mozz and 2 T Parm. Return the pan to the heat periodically, if necessary, to facilitate melting but do not let the sauce get too hot. Add a little more cheese if needed, melt in; serve immediately.
Just an aside: for a two-sauce pasta my preference would be to make a good fresh tomato (with white wine, onion, a little garlic and a minceof fresh herbs) and a good balsamella (no cheese) and transfer to separate sauté pans when the pasta goes in to boil. Remove the pasta when it is ready, save a little pasta cooking water, drain, the split into the two pans with the sauces, tossing well, allowing the sauce to absorb into the pasta well, and adding a little pasta cooking water to either or both pans, as and if needed. Then I'd plate the pastas side-by-side, top with some grated asiago and a basil sprig, and serve. Just a thought.
