Garlic Butter Pasta (Printable version)
Comforting pasta coated in fragrant garlic butter with hints of lemon and Parmesan cheese.
# List of ingredients:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz spaghetti or linguine
→ Garlic Butter Sauce
02 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
04 - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
05 - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
06 - Zest of 1 lemon
07 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
08 - 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
10 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
# Directions:
01 - Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
02 - While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant but not browned. Stir in the red pepper flakes and lemon zest.
03 - Add the drained pasta to the skillet. Toss to coat in the garlic butter sauce, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen.
04 - Stir in the lemon juice and half of the Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
05 - Divide the pasta among serving plates. Top with remaining Parmesan and chopped parsley.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It comes together in under 30 minutes but tastes like something you'd order at a cozy trattoria
- The sauce coats every single strand of pasta perfectly, and that lemon brightness cuts through the rich butter
02 -
- Never let your garlic brown or it'll turn bitter and ruin the delicate sauce you're building
- That pasta water is liquid gold it's what transforms melted butter into a silky emulsified sauce that actually sticks to the pasta
03 -
- Room temperature butter melts more evenly with the olive oil and prevents the sauce from separating
- Grate your Parmesan fresh from the block pre-grated cheese has anti-caking agents that keep it from melting smoothly into your sauce