Why This Recipe Works
Sometimes you open the fridge and there's nothing. Or there's something, but you can't figure out what to do with it, so it might as well be nothing. And the pantry—pasta, olive oil, garlic, butter, salt. That's it. That's always it. So you make this. Again.
I've made this pasta more times than I can count. It's the thing I make when I'm too tired to think. When the day has been long and the pantry feels empty and I don't want to create anything new. It's comfort food in the most literal sense—it requires almost no decisions. You just... do it. The muscle memory takes over.
I wonder sometimes why I'm posting this. Everyone knows how to make garlic butter pasta. There are thousands of versions online. Millions maybe. What am I adding? Why am I making content about this? But then I remember—that's what I do. I make content. I make content about making things. Even when the thing is so simple it barely needs explaining. Even when
Tips Before You Start
- Salt your pasta water generously—it should taste like the sea, or like tears, whichever reference you prefer
- Don't burn the garlic. I always say this but sometimes I burn it anyway because I'm looking at my phone or thinking about something else or just not paying attention
- Save pasta water. You need it for the sauce. You always need it for the sauce. This is the part everyone forgets.
- This pairs well with whatever wine you have open, or no wine, or just standing at the counter eating it out of the pan
The photos for this one were hard to take. It's just... pasta. Yellow pasta, golden garlic, some parsley if you have it (I didn't). How do you make that interesting? How do you make it look like something worth clicking on? I tried different angles, different lighting. Eventually I just stopped trying and took the picture. It looks like pasta. Because it is.
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Garlic Butter Pasta
The thing you make when you don't know what to make.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Boil the PastaBring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water before draining. You know this part. Everyone knows this part.
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Make the SauceWhile pasta cooks, melt butter with olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Don't let it burn. I already told you not to let it burn.
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CombineAdd drained pasta to the pan. Toss to coat. Add pasta water a little at a time until the sauce is glossy and clings to the noodles. Season with salt and pepper.
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ServeTop with Parmesan and parsley if you have them. If you don't, that's fine too. It's still pasta. It's still dinner. You did it.
Nutrition Information
Per serving
Recipe Notes
Why I'm posting this: I'm not sure, honestly. It felt like the right thing to do. I made it, I took a photo, I wrote about it. That's what I do. That's what this is.
Variations: You could add red pepper flakes for heat. You could add lemon zest for brightness. You could add a protein, or vegetables, or make it into something more. But sometimes you don't want more. Sometimes this is enough.
Storage: Keeps 2-3 days in the fridge. Reheats okay. Not as good, but okay. Most things aren't as good the second time.
Recipe Reviews (42)
Made this tonight when I realized I had nothing for dinner. It was perfect. Sometimes simple is best. Turned out just like the picture!
I mean... it's garlic butter pasta. Not sure why this needed its own recipe post? It's good though. My kids loved it.
Isla, the way you wrote about this recipe... I don't know, it felt different. Are you doing okay? The "why am I posting this" part really got to me. Sometimes we all need to make something simple. Sending good vibes.
This is my go-to recipe now. I've made it three times this week. Is that too much? Probably. But it's easy and it's there and I don't have to think about it.
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