Garlic Butter Pasta with Parmesan
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Author
Founders
Servings
4
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
This is the pasta you make when you want something deeply satisfying with almost no effort. Six ingredients, one pot, twenty minutes. The garlic butter sauce clings to every strand and the parmesan melts into something silky and rich. It's the kind of recipe you'll have memorised within two tries.
Ingredients
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400g spaghetti or linguine
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6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
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80g unsalted butter
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60ml good quality olive oil
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80g finely grated Parmesan, plus more to serve
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Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
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Small handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped (optional)
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Pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
Directions
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until just al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
While the pasta cooks, melt butter with olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook gently for 4–5 minutes, stirring often, until golden and fragrant. Do not let it brown too quickly — low and slow is the key.
Add a pinch of chilli flakes if using, then remove the pan from heat.
Add the drained pasta directly to the skillet. Pour in ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water and toss well to coat.
Add the Parmesan in two additions, tossing constantly and adding more pasta water as needed to create a glossy, emulsified sauce.
Season generously with salt and cracked black pepper. Taste and adjust.
Serve immediately topped with extra Parmesan, parsley, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Recipe Note
Tips
- Salt your pasta water generously — it should taste like the sea. This is where the pasta gets its base flavour.
- Reserve more pasta water than you think you need. The starchy water is what makes the sauce silky rather than greasy.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan — pre-grated cheese won't melt smoothly into the sauce.
- Low heat on the garlic — burnt garlic will make the whole dish bitter. Golden and fragrant is the goal.