Garlicky and cheesy, this spaghetti is the most perfect comfort food! This garlic parmesan pasta recipe is great enjoyed by itself for a quick and easy dinner, or enjoy with your favorite sauces and meatballs.
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Hands up who's in the mood for comfort food! I guess there's never a bad time!
This garlic parmesan pasta is the most perfect weeknight meal, and it is beautiful in it's simplicity. Delicious to serve as a main, but also a great way to add some flavor to your plate as a side.
Be sure to try my Lemon Salmon Pasta and Vegan Lentil Bolognese too!
Why you will love this recipe!
- Simple ingredients: You only need 4 main ingredients to make this recipe, so you have no excuses!
- Quick and easy: Ready to enjoy in 20 minutes, this is a great go to recipe after a long and busy day.
Ingredients
- Pasta: I like to use spaghetti for this dish. The parmesan and garlic stick to the long strands for one yummy bite.
- Butter: Use salted butter, or, if you use unsalted, add a little salt to the skillet when you melt it. The butter adds a delicious rich flavor and silky texture. In a pinch, you can use a little oil instead.
- Garlic: Roughly chop and slice the garlic rather than mincing it for a softer flavor.
- Parmesan: Use freshly grated parmesan. It has a much better flavor than pre grated. Pre grated tends to be dry and can result in a grainy texture. It's worth the extra effort, I promise!
How to make garlic parmesan pasta
Be sure to scroll down for the full recipe!
- Melt the butter and soften the garlic (photo 1).
- Add in the cooked spaghetti and grated parmesan (photo 2).
- Toss to combine with a little pasta water (photo 3).
Serving Suggestions
Serve this up in a bowl, top with some shaved parmesan, black pepper and fresh parsley and I am in heaven! For a fuller meal, it's great to serve as more of a side dish, try topping it with my bison meatballs or your favorite pasta sauce. Toss in some cooked shredded chicken or bacon for some additional protein.
Frequently Asked Questions
I love to make this dish with spaghetti, or another long pasta like linguini will work well too. You can use shorter pastas like fusilli or penne if that's what you have to hand.
This is an easy way to add flavor and texture to your pasta. The water is salty and starchy, and helps the parmesan hold to the pasta. It also means that you don't have to add heavier liquids like cream or stock that can compete with the other flavors in the dish.
I like to lift the spaghetti straight out of the boiling water and into a skillet with tongs, so you bring some water with it, then, as you toss it together add around another half cup until you get your desired texture.
Like most pastas, this is best enjoyed as soon as you've made it, but if you do have leftovers they will keep well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a pot over a low medium heat, with a couple of tablespoons of water to warm through to serve.
Recipe Variations
This garlic parmesan pasta is so perfect in it's simplicity! To make this a vegetarian friendly dish, use a rennet free parmesan. Try adding a squeeze of lemon juice for a burst of flavor, or add in a little cream with the butter for more of a sauce.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Cook the spaghetti in heavily salted water to add flavor.
- Don't drain the spaghetti when it's finished cooking, add it straight from the pot into the garlic and butter, so you bring some of that lovely pasta water with it.
- Melt the butter and start to soften the garlic as your pasta is cooking, so when it's ready, it can be added right in.
More Pasta Recipes
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Garlic Parmesan Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti (225g)
- ½ stick salted butter (4 tablespoons / 57g)
- 3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- freshly grated black pepper
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan (90g)
- shaved parmesan and fresh parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add in the spaghetti and cook until al dente. Do not drain the spaghetti
- While the spaghetti is cooking, add the butter, chopped garlic and some black pepper to skillet and place on a medium heat. Allow the butter to melt. Stir occasionally so that the garlic softens.
- Once the spaghetti is cooked, use tongs to remove it from the water and straight into the skillet with the garlic butter. This transfers some of the pasta water into the skillet which helps to create a light sauce.
- Add the parmesan to the spaghetti and toss together to combine.
- Ladle in some pasta water, a bit at a time, and toss together. Add around ½ cup of pasta water depending on the consistency you like.
- Serve with shaved parmesan and fresh parsley.
Notes
- Cook the spaghetti in heavily salted water to add flavor.
- Don't drain the spaghetti when it's finished cooking, add it straight from the pot into the garlic and butter, so you bring some of that lovely pasta water with it.
- Melt the butter and start to soften the garlic as your pasta is cooking, so when it's ready, it can be added right in.
- Nutritional values are an estimate and are for 2 large main servings.
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