Description
Savory garlic butter noodles blend Italian pasta with Asian-inspired flavors for a quick comfort meal. Silky strands coat perfectly with rich, garlicky sauce, delivering maximum taste in minimal time.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz (340 g) spaghetti, fettuccine, or favorite pasta
- ¼ cup (25 g) Parmesan cheese, grated (plus extra for serving)
- 4 tbsps (60 g) unsalted butter
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional, for a hint of spice)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup (60 ml) pasta water (reserved from cooking the pasta)
- 2 tbsps fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Pasta Preparation: Bring a generously salted pot of water to a rolling boil, immerse pasta, and cook to al dente perfection according to package instructions. Strategically reserve a quarter cup of starchy cooking liquid before draining.
- Aromatic Butter Base: In a spacious skillet, gently melt butter over moderate heat. Introduce finely minced garlic and optional red pepper flakes, sautéing until the garlic becomes translucent and releases its intoxicating aroma.
- Flavor Fusion: Reduce heat to low, carefully fold cooked pasta into the fragrant butter mixture, ensuring each noodle is luxuriously coated. Integrate reserved pasta water, grated Parmesan, and freshly ground black pepper, tenderly tossing to create a silky, glossy sauce that embraces the pasta.
- Final Flourish: Transfer the glistening noodles to serving plates, garnishing with a delicate sprinkle of chopped parsley, an additional whisper of Parmesan, and a subtle touch of salt to elevate the dish’s complex flavor profile.
Notes
- Optimize Pasta Texture: Reserve cooking water to control sauce consistency and help noodles absorb flavor perfectly, preventing dry or overly wet results.
- Control Garlic Intensity: Sauté garlic gently and watch closely to achieve golden color without burning, which can create bitter undertones that ruin the delicate butter sauce.
- Cheese Melting Technique: Add Parmesan off direct heat to ensure smooth, creamy sauce integration without clumping or separating, creating a silky texture.
- Customize Dietary Needs: Swap regular pasta with gluten-free or whole wheat alternatives, use plant-based butter and nutritional yeast for vegan version, maintaining the recipe’s rich, comforting essence.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg