Garlic Butter Pasta
The simplest pasta you'll make — and the one you'll make most often.
Ingredients
Serves 2
- 8 oz (225g) spaghetti or linguine
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water
- 1/2 cup Parmesan, finely grated
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Lemon wedge to serve (optional but recommended)
Instructions
- 1Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until 1 minute shy of al dente. Before draining, scoop out at least 1 cup of pasta cooking water (you'll use about 1/2 cup).
- 2While pasta cooks, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Once melted, continue cooking the butter, swirling occasionally, until it turns light amber and smells nutty — about 3–4 minutes. This is brown butter and it transforms the dish.
- 3Add sliced garlic and red pepper flakes to the brown butter. Cook on LOW heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring often, until garlic turns pale golden. Pull it the moment it's golden — it goes from perfect to bitter in seconds.
- 4Add 1/3 cup of the reserved pasta water to the garlic butter and stir — it will sizzle and steam. This creates an emulsion that coats the pasta.
- 5Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss vigorously over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, adding more pasta water a tablespoon at a time until you have a glossy, silky coating. Not a pool of liquid — a coating.
- 6Remove from heat. Add Parmesan and toss until melted. Season generously with salt and fresh black pepper.
- 7Plate and top with fresh parsley. Squeeze lemon over if using — the acid brightens everything. Serve immediately.
Pro Tips
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Brown the butter — don't skip this step. Golden brown butter has a nutty, caramelized flavor that turns a simple dish into something you'd order in a restaurant.
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Use the pasta water aggressively. The emulsified starch is what turns butter and pasta into a sauce that clings rather than pools at the bottom of the bowl.
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For a protein addition, toss in sautéed shrimp or a fried egg on top — the yolk mixes into the pasta water to create an even silkier sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make garlic butter pasta not greasy?
The pasta cooking water is the key — the dissolved starch emulsifies with the butter and turns it from a pool of fat into a silky sauce that coats the noodles. Use it generously and toss vigorously. If the pasta looks greasy, add another splash of pasta water and keep tossing off the heat.
Can I add vegetables to garlic butter pasta?
Absolutely — cherry tomatoes, asparagus, spinach, and frozen peas all work well. Add firmer vegetables when you add the garlic so they soften in the butter. Spinach and frozen peas can go in at the very end and wilt from the residual heat.
What is brown butter and how do I make it?
Brown butter (beurre noisette in French) is made by cooking regular butter past the melting point until the milk solids caramelize and turn golden. It smells nutty and toasty, not just like regular butter. Use medium-low heat, swirl the pan occasionally, and watch closely — it goes from golden to burned in about 30 seconds.
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