4 Ingredient Garlic Butter Pasta

This 4 ingredient garlic butter pasta is quick, cheap, and full of flavour, made with simple pantry staples and ready in 15 minutes. It’s rich, garlicky, and perfect for nights when you need something fast, with no complicated steps or hard to find ingredients, and you can serve it as is or add whatever you have on hand to stretch it further.

What is garlic butter pasta?

This garlic butter pasta is a simple pantry meal made with pasta, butter, garlic, and a little pasta water to create a silky sauce. The starch from the pasta water helps the butter coat every strand, giving you a rich, glossy finish without needing cream.

It’s a classic “nothing in the fridge” dinner that still tastes satisfying and comforting.

Why you’ll love this garlic butter pasta

• Easy to customise with what you have
• Uses only 4 basic ingredients
• Ready in 15 minutes
• Only costs a few dollars to make
• No cream or fancy ingredients needed

Ingredients for garlic butter pasta

1. Pasta – Any shape works. I like to use Spaghetti or linguini as it holds the sauce well, but use whatever you have. Short pasta works too, like penne or rigatoni.
2. Butter – This creates the base of the sauce and gives it a rich flavour.
3. Garlic – Fresh Australian garlic gives the best flavour. It’s the key ingredient here so choose cloves that are firm with no visible blemishes. If your garlic is sprouting, slice in half and remove the green sprout with the tip of a knife and discard. This green sprout can make the garlic taste bitter.
4. Parmesan cheese – Adds saltiness and helps thicken the sauce. Use freshly grated or finely shredded for the best result.

You will also need:

1. Salt – to season the pasta water and if required, a little at the end depending on your tastes.
   
   TIP: You’ll need a little pasta water to help create the sauce, so don’t drain it all away.

How to make garlic butter pasta

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, then reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
2. In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant. Do not let it brown.
3. Add the drained pasta to the pan along with a splash of reserved pasta water. Toss well to coat. Remove from heat.
4. Stir through the parmesan and add more pasta water as needed until the sauce turns glossy and coats the pasta.
5. Taste and adjust with salt if needed, then serve immediately. Garnish with some fresh herbs if you have them.

Tips

• Salt your pasta water well. It should taste slightly salty. This builds flavour from the start.
• Don’t burn the garlic. Cook it gently until fragrant, not brown.
• Save your pasta water. The starch helps create a silky sauce.
• Add the cheese off the heat. This stops it from clumping.
• Use freshly grated parmesan if possible. It melts better and gives a smoother finish.
• Toss, don’t stir. Tossing helps the sauce coat the pasta evenly.

Storage

FRIDGE
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

REHEAT
Reheat in a pan over low heat with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Stir until warmed through.

FREEZER
Not recommended. The sauce can split and turn greasy when thawed.

Simple, cheap, and always reliable. If you make this, leave a comment and let me know how you served it.

Looking for more cheap dinners that still taste good?
Head over to my 10 Budget Meals That Actually Taste Good collection for easy, low cost recipes made with simple ingredients. Perfect for busy weeknights, tight grocery budgets and feeding the family without boring dinners.

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