Description
This Garlic Butter Pasta recipe is a simple yet flavorful dish featuring perfectly cooked pasta tossed in a rich garlic butter sauce with parmesan and fresh parsley. It’s quick to prepare, making it an ideal weeknight dinner or a comforting meal any time.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 8 ounces dried pasta such as spaghetti, linguine, or any other long or short pasta
Garlic Butter Sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Boil water in a saucepot, add salt to make it as salty as sea water, then add the pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water for the sauce.
- Prepare the Sauce: In a skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and sauté until fragrant but not browned, about 1-2 minutes. Add the drained pasta to the skillet along with some reserved pasta water and toss to coat the pasta in the butter and garlic.
- Add Butter and Cheese: Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the grated parmesan cheese until melted and the sauce becomes creamy. Add reserved pasta water as needed to reach the desired saucy consistency.
- Finish the Dish: Remove the skillet from heat. Stir in the chopped fresh parsley and season with additional salt and ground black pepper as needed. Toss everything together thoroughly. Serve immediately with extra parmesan cheese on top if desired.
Notes
- The recommended portion of pasta per person is 2-3 ounces (60-85 grams) to ensure proper serving sizes.
- Salting the pasta water as much as sea water enhances the pasta’s flavor through absorption during cooking.
- You may not need to use all the reserved pasta water; add gradually to adjust the sauce’s thickness to your preference.
- Use fresh garlic and freshly grated parmesan for best flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
