Description
A simple and delicious garlic butter pasta that is perfect for a quick meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound dry pasta (fettuccine, linguine, or egg noodles)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water and add a generous tablespoon of salt. Bring it to a rolling boil.
- Add your pasta and cook it according to the package directions, but aim for “al dente,” which means the noodle still has a slight firmness when you bite into it.
- Before you drain the pasta, take a measuring cup and scoop out about a cup of the boiling pasta water.
- In the same pot you used for the pasta, melt the stick of butter over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook the garlic for about two minutes, stirring constantly.
- If you are using heavy cream for a richer version, pour it into the butter and garlic now. Whisk it together and let it simmer for one minute.
- If you are skipping the cream, simply move on to the next step. Add half of your reserved pasta water to the butter.
- Add the cooked noodles back into the pot with the garlic butter. Use tongs to toss the pasta thoroughly so every strand is coated.
- While the noodles are still hot, sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese and the black pepper.
- If the noodles look a little dry or the cheese is clumping, add a few more splashes of the reserved pasta water. This will loosen the sauce and make it silky again.
- Stir in the fresh parsley at the very end to keep its color bright and its flavor fresh.
- Serve the noodles immediately in warm bowls, perhaps with an extra dusting of cheese on top for good measure.
Notes
- This recipe is customizable; feel free to add vegetables or proteins as desired.
- For a lighter dish, you can skip the heavy cream.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 500mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 50mg