This is a quick dinner made mostly from things you may already have: spaghetti, butter, garlic and Parmesan. Pasta water turns them into a light, glossy sauce without any cream. It takes about as long as boiling the pasta, so have everything ready before you start.
Serves: 4 | Time: about 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 340 g (12 oz) spaghetti
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 or 5 garlic cloves, finely minced
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Salt
- A pinch of red pepper flakes or 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
Method
- Boil the spaghetti in well-salted water until al dente, tasting a minute or two before the packet time. Save 1 cup of the water before draining.
- While it cooks, melt the butter in a large pan over medium-low heat.
- Add the garlic and stir for 30 to 60 seconds, until fragrant but barely colored. Add the red pepper flakes now if using.
- Move the spaghetti into the pan, add about ¼ cup of pasta water and toss well.
- Turn the heat to low or take the pan off the burner. Add the Parmesan a handful at a time, tossing constantly and adding water as needed, until the sauce is smooth and clings to the pasta.
- Toss in the pepper and parsley. Taste, add salt if needed, and finish with lemon juice if you like. Serve right away.
Fixing common problems
- Clumpy cheese: The pan was probably too hot, or the cheese went in too fast. Take it off the heat, add warm pasta water and keep tossing. Finely grated cheese melts best.
- Bitter taste: The garlic browned too far. If it has gone dark, it is worth starting the butter and garlic again.
- Greasy pasta: It needs more pasta water and more tossing to blend the butter into the sauce.
- Dry pasta: Add a tablespoon or two of warm pasta water. The sauce tightens as it sits.
Do not rinse the pasta, because you want its surface starch. Our pasta water guide explains why, and pasta cooking mistakes covers other common slips.
Easy variations
- Lemon: Add the zest of a lemon and a squeeze of juice at the end.
- Mushroom: Fry sliced mushrooms in a little butter until browned before adding the garlic.
- Spinach: Stir in a large handful of baby spinach in the last minute. The heat will wilt it.
- Chicken or shrimp: Cook and season them separately, then toss them in at the end.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free spaghetti and check any packaged ingredients. It releases less starch, so keep a little extra water ready.
What to serve with it
The pasta is rich, so something fresh or green works best: a salad with lemon dressing, roasted broccoli, sautéed spinach or steamed green beans.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and eat them within a couple of days. Reheat gently in a pan with a splash of water, stirring often. The sauce will not be quite as smooth the second time.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use salted butter?
Yes. Hold back on extra salt until you have tasted the finished pasta.
Can I use pre-grated Parmesan or jarred garlic?
Yes, though fresh is better. Pre-grated cheese can melt less smoothly, so add it slowly. Use about ½ teaspoon of jarred garlic per clove.
Can I use a different pasta shape?
Linguine and fettuccine work just as well. See the pasta pairing guide for more on matching shapes and sauces.
More from PastaLoverz
For a version with no butter or cheese, try spaghetti aglio e olio. For a Pecorino sauce with more of a challenge, try cacio e pepe. The pasta cooking guide covers the basics.
Further reading: Wikipedia: Parmesan
Syed Yasar Arafat is the founder of PastaLoverz.com and a food research enthusiast with a focused interest in pasta varieties, traditional Italian cuisine, and balanced eating. Through PastaLoverz.com, he publishes well-researched articles that explain pasta types, cooking methods, and nutritional considerations in clear, practical terms to help readers make informed food choices.