Garlic Butter Pasta with Parmesan

Garlic Butter Pasta with Parmesan

This Garlic Butter Pasta comes together in one skillet, and most of the work happens while the pasta boils. Butter and a generous amount of minced garlic melt together over low heat until fragrant and just barely golden, then the drained linguine goes straight into the pan. A cup of starchy pasta water and a last pat of butter get tossed in until everything pulls together into a glossy sauce that clings to every strand. Fresh parsley, cracked black pepper, and finely grated Parmesan go in off the heat. Serve it right away, while it's still silky.

Course: Main Course, Pasta, Side Dish, Sides

Cuisine: Italian-American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings (about 1½ cups pasta)

Calories: 617kcal

Author: Briana

Equipment

8-quart pot or larger
12-inch skillet
microplane or fine grater

Ingredients

6 liters water for boiling
4 tablespoons kosher salt for the pasta water, see notes
14 tablespoons unsalted butter
16 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste, see notes, for the sauce
1 pound pasta 16 ounces, linguine, spaghetti, or long pasta of choice
1 cup reserved pasta water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter for finishing the sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
3 ounces Parmesan finely grated
¼ cup fresh parsley chopped (optional)

Instructions

Salt the water

Bring water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add kosher salt. While it heats, mince the garlic, chop the parsley, and finely grate the Parmesan.
6 liters water, 4 tablespoons kosher salt

Make the garlic butter

In a large skillet over medium-low heat, melt most of the unsalted butter. Add the minced garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook gently, swirling often, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the garlic is soft and fragrant. Pull the heat back the moment it starts to color.
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, 16 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Cook the pasta

Add pasta to the boiling water and cook until 1 to 2 minutes shy of al dente. It should still have real bite. Scoop out at least 2 cups of the cloudy water before draining.
1 pound pasta

Build the sauce

Add the drained pasta straight into the garlic butter and toss to coat.
Add 1 cup of reserved pasta water and the remaining unsalted butter, then raise the heat to medium. Save the remaining pasta water for reheating leftovers or to loosen the noodles.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 cup reserved pasta water
Toss constantly until the butter, water, and starch pull together into a glossy sauce that clings to every strand. Splash in more pasta water anytime it looks dry or clumpy.

Finish

Pull the pan off the heat. Add freshly ground black pepper, Parmesan, and optional chopped parsley. Toss until everything is coated. Taste and adjust the salt, then serve immediately.
1 teaspoon black pepper, 3 ounces Parmesan, ¼ cup fresh parsley

Notes

Salt matters here. We use Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which is less dense by volume than Morton's. If you're using Morton's, cut both amounts by a little under half, or the sauce will be too salty once the Parmesan goes in.
Wait to adjust the salt. Between the pasta water, the Parmesan, and the butter, this dish gets salt from three directions. Taste after everything is tossed together, not before.
Reserve more water than you think you need. The recipe calls for a cup, but scoop out two. A pound of pasta drinks up sauce as it sits, and a splash of hot starchy water brings it right back.
Hold back the last two tablespoons of butter. Adding it cold with the pasta water helps the sauce come together and gives it a little extra body at the end.
Use long strands. Linguine, spaghetti, bucatini, and fettuccine all work. Short shapes like penne or rigatoni will taste good, but the sauce slides off instead of coating, so you lose the best part.
Salted butter works. Cut the salt in the sauce to about ½ teaspoon and taste before adding more at the end.
The parsley is optional. It's there for freshness and color rather than flavor, so leave it out if you don't have any.
Storage. Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The sauce will firm up and look broken when it's cold, which is normal.
Reheating. Warm it in a skillet over medium-low with a splash of the reserved pasta water, or plain water if you didn't save any, tossing until it loosens and turns glossy again. The microwave will separate it.
Not a make-ahead dish. The emulsion is at its best in the first few minutes. You can mince the garlic and grate the Parmesan a day ahead, but cook it when you're ready to eat.

Nutrition