Garlic Butter Pasta (Printable Version)

Comforting spaghetti in rich garlic butter sauce with lemon, Parmesan, and fresh parsley. Ready in just 25 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ 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

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
02 - Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1–2 minutes until fragrant and golden, taking care not to burn. Stir in red pepper flakes and lemon zest.
03 - Transfer drained pasta to the skillet. Toss thoroughly to coat with garlic butter sauce, adding reserved pasta water gradually to achieve desired consistency.
04 - Stir in lemon juice and half the Parmesan cheese. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste.
05 - Plate the pasta and garnish with remaining Parmesan and fresh chopped parsley.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Its the kind of comfort food that comes together faster than delivery would arrive
  • The sauce clings to every strand like it was meant to be there, not some watery afterthought
  • You probably have everything in your pantry right now, making it perfect for those I dont want to grocery shop evenings
02 -
  • Garlic goes from perfectly golden to bitter burnt in literally seconds, so have everything ready before you start cooking it
  • The pasta water is your secret weapon for transforming melted butter into a silky sauce that actually clings to the noodles
  • Lemon zest packs way more flavor than juice, so grate it directly into the butter to capture every aromatic oil
03 -
  • Room temperature butter melts more evenly and creates a smoother sauce than cold butter straight from the fridge
  • Grate your Parmesan from a wedge if possible, pre shredded cheese has anti caking agents that prevent proper melting

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