Garlic, butter, and pasta, name a better trio. Years ago, my husband and I had the Longevity Noodles at Sunda in Chicago, and we still talk about them. They were buttery, garlicky perfection, and this Garlic Butter Pasta is my busy-family version of that unforgettable dish. With just 4 ingredients and 20 minutes on the stovetop, it's a weeknight hero with my popular garlic butter as the star of the show!
TL;DR - Garlic Butter Pasta
✨ Everything you need to know at a glance:
- 💛 Why you'll love it: 4 ingredients, 20 minutes, and the creamiest garlic butter sauce, but no cream required.
- 🧄 Ingredients: Pasta, butter, garlic, parmesan
- 🔥 How to make it: Boil pasta → melt butter + garlic → toss with pasta & cheese → serve.
- ⏲️ Time: 20 minutes total.
- ❄️ Storage: Best fresh, but leftovers reheat beautifully with a splash of pasta water.
- 💡 Pro tip: Reserve a cup of pasta water, its the key to a silky sauce.
- 🥖 Serve with: Rosemary Roasted Carrots or this popular Baked Pesto Salmon for a complete meal.
Want to add garlic butter pasta to your weekly menu plan? Let AI help!
Key Ingredients
- Garlic Cubes: Frozen crushed garlic cubes are the key to keeping this dish easy to make. They melt easily into the butter and require no chopping, dicing or garlicky hands.
- Pasta Water: This is what really makes the dish come together. Save the water from boiling your pasta. The starch that comes off the pasta and into the water helps emulsify the garlic butter and Parmesan into a creamy sauce.
Variations to Try
Garlic butter pasta is endlessly adaptable here are a few easy ways to change it up without adding extra work:
- 🌶️ Spicy Garlic Butter Pasta: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a swirl of chili crisp for gentle heat.
- 🍋 Lemon Garlic Butter Pasta: Stir in a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a bit of zest at the end for brightness, it's similar in flavor to my Lemon Garlic Pasta.
- 🍄 Miso Garlic Butter Pasta: Whisk a spoonful of white miso into the butter for a savory, umami twist (you'll love my Miso Butter Pasta if this one hits).
- 🧀 Parmesan Herb Pasta: Add in a handful of chopped parsley or basil with the grated parmesan for a fresh finish.
- 🥦 Garlic Butter Veggie Pasta: Toss in roasted broccoli, blistered peas, or roasted cauliflower for an easy way to get more veggies in.
- 🦈Add a protein: Mix in flaked hot smoked salmon or leftover pesto salmon. If you don't keep kosher like we do, try adding sliced grilled chicken or steak right on top.
How to make Garlic Butter Pasta
Step 1: Bring the pasta water to a boil and add your pasta. Cook according to package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving the pasta cooking water.
Step 2: While the pasta cooks, in a large sauce pan melt the stick of butter with 10 cubes of frozen garlic.
Step 3: Add the cooked pasta into the garlic butter.
Step 4: Add in the Parmesan cheese and pasta water stirring until everything is incorporated and the Parmesan has melted into the sauce.
Pasta Shape Recommendation
I love using a long pasta for this recipe. Spaghetti, fettuccine, and linguine are all great options and the ones I turn to most often. Angel hair pasta would make for a really light dish and ramen noodles would be a great quick cooking option. Save the tubular pasta for meatless baked ziti or tomato basil pasta.
💡Hot Tip:
Break your noodles in half before putting them into the water to cook. It makes it easier for kiddos to get them on their forks. You can also find "pot sized spaghetti" which is just half sized spaghetti noodles.
Recipe FAQs
Long noodles like spaghetti, linguine or fettucine hold the sauce beautifully, but rotini, fusilli and even farfalle will work too. In a pinch, you can even use cooked ramen or udon noodles.
Make sure to stir it into the butter as it is melting. The butter will help coat the garlic and prevent it from burning.
Yes! Use vegan butter and skip the cheese or swap in a plant based Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast.
Storage and Reheating Tips
You can store this pasta dish in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat the pasta with garlic butter, I suggest doing it on the stovetop with a little bit of added water or even milk to help bring back the creaminess. Once warmed through, be sure to stir it up well and enjoy!
Other Easy Stovetop Pasta recipes you'll love
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📖 Recipe
Garlic Butter Pasta (4 Ingredients)
Ingredients
- 8 TB Butter (one stick)
- 10 cubes frozen crushed garlic (find in freezer section)
- 16 oz pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine are my suggestions)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup pasta water reserve from pasta cooking water
Instructions
- Bring the pasta water to a boil and add your pasta. Cook according to package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving the pasta cooking water.
- While the pasta cooks, in a large sauce pan, melt the stick of butter with 10 cubes of frozen garlic.
- Add the cooked pasta into the garlic butter and then add in the Parmesan cheese and pasta water slowly (you may use more or less depending on how the dish is coming together.
- Continue stirring until everything is incorporated and the Parmesan has melted into the sauce.
Marni says
So good and so easy!
betty says
it was vrey tastey