Description
This Garlic Butter Pasta recipe is a simple and flavorful dish perfect for a quick weeknight meal. Combining al dente spaghetti with a rich and aromatic garlic butter sauce, finished with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese, it offers comforting taste with minimal ingredients and effort.
Ingredients
Pasta
- 8 ounces spaghetti (or any other dried pasta or gluten-free pasta)
- Water
- Kosher Salt
Sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (preferably European-style butter with high fat content)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped (plus more for serving)
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
- Prepare Garlic Butter Sauce: While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat, making sure it doesn’t brown. Add the minced garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Remove from heat and stir in kosher salt, black pepper, and chopped fresh parsley to combine the flavors.
- Toss Pasta with Sauce: Drizzle the garlic butter sauce over the cooked pasta. Toss well to coat evenly. If the pasta is too sticky or dry, gradually add the reserved pasta water in 2-tablespoon increments to loosen the sauce and achieve a silky texture.
- Add Cheese and Parsley: Sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese and additional chopped parsley onto the pasta. Toss thoroughly to distribute the cheese and fresh herbs throughout the dish.
- Serve: Divide the garlic butter pasta into serving bowls. Garnish with extra parmesan cheese and parsley as desired, then serve immediately for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Use European-style butter for a richer flavor due to its higher fat content.
- Reserve pasta water to help loosen the sauce and help it cling to the pasta better.
- Add garlic carefully to avoid browning it, which can make the sauce bitter.
- For a gluten-free option, substitute the spaghetti with gluten-free pasta.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste after tossing with the pasta water and cheese.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
