No matter what skill level you reach as a cook or what triumphs of culinary complication you manage to master over the course of a lifetime it’s a plain simple truth that sometimes simpler is better. I feel that the simplest of dishes with the fewest ingredients actually take more skill to master than dishes with complex ingredient lists and prolonged methods.
In a simple dish there is no room for error. You can’t cover a mistake with another layer, or a touch of this or that. This dish is like that. It has just 5 ingredients and takes less than 15 minutes to prepare. A novice cook can easily make this dish and make it well. To make it perfectly every time is something that I strive for… And so far have not mastered.
My kids don’t mind that I keep trying. Buttery garlic pasta is one of their favorite foods, whether as a side dish or as a meal in itself. My wife fell in love with it on her last visit as well. Both of these things make me push myself to make it better every time I cook it. To add just a little more care. To be sure the pasta is perfectly al dente. That there isn’t too much or too little of any one thing. Because there’s no place to hide if I screw it up.
Do you have a simple dish like this in your arsenal? Is there something that you feel could always be just a little better than it was the last time? For me this is that dish.. But then, it’s so delicious that even if I’ve never achieved its pinnacle, the other versions are incredible, too. Buttery Garlic Pasta. So simple yet so delicious
Buttery Garlic Pasta
Ingredients
Instructions
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6 Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 235Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 96mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 5g
What I would have done differently:
Each time I make this I tweak something just a little. I prefer the garlic crisped as it takes on a slightly nutty and bitter flavor that cuts the richness of the butter well.
Browning the butter adds depth but the added nuttiness almost demands the addition of an acid to the dish; something I’m striving not to use here… The aim of this dish is perfection in simplicity.
Links to other recipes like buttery garlic pasta:
- Linguine with Garlic and Olive Oil, from Cookbook Catchall
- Garlic Pasta, from Bread + Butter
- Sage Garlic Butter Gnocchi, from The Purple Foodie
You are so right!!! I fell in love with this dish. Thank you for posting it honey, so I can make it over here!
I was the weird child who insisted on having her pasta naked. Butter, salt and pepper and maybe some parmesan were all I would agree to. Now that I’m all grown up I add garlic. Simply perfection. I still avoid all things drowned in tomato sauce even though I love tomatoes. =P
@Honey,
It’s my pleasure baby! let me know if you come up with any interesting variations.
@Nic,
I’m not at all opposed to tomato based pasta sauces, but this is one of my kids’ faves and as such deserved a place here.
what you could do, if you like the nuttiness, heat up the oil REAL hot, brown the garlic till crisp, set the garlic aside, then add the butter, and throw in the golden garlic at the end.
you will definitely need the pasta cooking water as well to gel the tastes together.
Peas!
A
Add some green chile to this! yum.
my 3 favs: butter, pasta and garlic!
this looks great! love your amazing photos and blog!
The simple dishes are the best -I love eating them but I always find it so hard to restrict myself to so little ingredients when cooking myself
You should try reserving about 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water right before you drain the noodles; add it to the pan with the fat and swirl on the range till most of the water boils off and the sauce emulsifies and forms. The starch from the water will add a layer of texture as well as help the sauce cling to the pasta better without using another ingredient.
ITALIAN dressing goes well on any kind of pasta.. the zesty kind with a lot of pepper and a little hot sauce
How many servings does this yield? I want to make this for dinner tonight, but I’ll be the only one eating!
Sorry to get back so late, but the recipe serves four to six. Just cut the numbers down. A cup of pasta, a pat of butter and a clove of garlic should do it
I would add the salt to the water and then bring it to a boil. Water boils faster with salt in it.
Water does not boil faster with salt. And perfection is balance, not simplicity.
Clarification: simplicity is attractive, but utterly pointless if out of balance.
Simply great…. I was looking for something very simple with garlic base and this was like a perfect match….. Thanks a ton for sharing….
I added some corriander leaves in the end….. :)
I’m so glad you liked it!
How about sauteing some shrimp in butter and mixing that in? Mmmm!
Absolutely! You can never go wrong with that combination.
Wow this was amazing! Thank you so much!
It’s a family favorite. I’m glad you liked it.
i addened crumbled italian sausage and spinach so yummy
I tried this today for lunch and its delicious! I added lemon instead of paprika. I also added some chicken, since it was my main lunch. I love it!!
I added shrimp to mine with a little more garlic & it was delicious! Thanks for the great recipe.
Great recipe! I usually add a generous amount of fresh herbs to mine as well, such as basil. However, I’m not so sure that you could call it healthy. White pasta has a lot of carbs and very little nutritional value. And the butter speaks for itself.
I cooked my pasta in veggie stock and then tossed in pan with oil,garlic,basil and a little of the cooking stock. I cooked until reduced. What a wonderful dish!
Dawn,
Your version sounds amazing. I’ll have to give it a shot myself.
great simple recipe. must let the garlic brown to make a rounder flavor and save a half cup of the boiled water (as other comments have said). i uppeed the amount of papriika to a 1/2 tsp (a pinch over) and added a 1/2 tsp of dried mustard. and pretty generous with the salt and pepper. it gave it some spice with the garlic and was good with shredded parm on top before serving.
Justin,
I’d say browning the garlic is a personal preference, but definitely using the cooking liquid is essential. I love your additions!
My husband and I just finished Whole30 and are in the reintroduction phase. Today is gluten grain day! Made this for dinner – added some shrimp and scallops. Simple and delicious! I’ll be linking your recipe on my blog post. Thanks for sharing! We will definitely be making this again.
Shrimp and scallops would pair perfectly with this! I’m glad Y’all enjoyed it.
My super picky three year old loves this and so does the rest of the family! Thank you!
Mellie,
So glad it’s a hit for you too! It was one of the only meals I could make for a long time that everybody gobbled up without argument.
What about sesame oil? I have that… and some canned chicken . That’s what I got in the pantry…
sesame oil is great as a finish for pasta, but you’ll have to judge the amounts you prefer little by little.
Delicious recipe! My 5 year old daughter loves it ! (And believe me. she’s about as picky as they come ) Thank you so much for sharing. And I’m with you Jerry..often times, especially in the kitchen-simple is better!!
So glad she likes it! It’s a favorite of my youngest as well, and so simple to make!
Thanks for the recipe! My super picky 2 1/2 year old love this dish. Have you anymore recipes for a picky eater?
My son wanted something to eat, and I’m so confused I don’t even have any egg or chicken, browsing up and found your recipe, looking up to the kitchen and I have everything but pound past and paprika
So I used lasagna and green beans. After garlic and butter, add the boiled lasagna and green beans, add Parmesan and oregano and generous amount of salt, pepper and tomato sauce -don’t know why with the tomato sauce – but : I’m the hero of the day! He looooooooooooooved it
Thank you so so much!