Garlic Butter Noodles Dish (Printable)

Tender noodles coated in fragrant garlic butter with parsley and optional lemon zest, ready quickly for a cozy dish.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 7 oz spaghetti or fettuccine

→ Garlic Butter

02 - 3 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
04 - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
05 - 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
06 - 1/2 tsp sea salt, plus additional for pasta water
07 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Finishing

08 - 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
09 - Zest of 1/2 lemon (optional)

# How-To:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
02 - Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes if using. Sauté gently for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant without browning.
03 - Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat evenly with the garlic butter. If the noodles appear dry, add a splash of the reserved pasta water.
04 - Stir in the fresh parsley, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Toss thoroughly to distribute seasonings.
05 - Portion the noodles into bowls. Garnish with grated Parmesan and lemon zest if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's ready faster than you can set the table, perfect for those nights when hunger wins over ambition.
  • The garlic becomes sweet and mellow as it melts into the butter, creating something far more nuanced than you'd expect from three ingredients.
  • There's a certain elegance in how simple food can feel celebratory without any fussing around.
02 -
  • Browning the garlic even slightly will make it taste acrid and wrong, so stay present and keep that heat gentle; this is not the time to step away.
  • That reserved pasta water is pure gold—a splash of it turns dry noodles luxurious, so don't forget to save it before you drain.
03 -
  • Make sure your skillet is large enough that the pasta isn't crowded; you need room to toss it properly so every strand gets its share of butter.
  • If you're cooking for a crowd, this recipe doubles easily, but cook the pasta and butter in batches rather than trying to scale everything at once; the sauce comes together too quickly to multitask.
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