Garlic butter pasta is a quick and easy vegetarian recipe that's bursting with delicious savory flavor. This simple and comforting dish is perfect for busy weeknights when you want something fast yet satisfying. With just 6 budget-friendly ingredients, you can whip up a rich and savory pasta dish. So grab your pasta pot and let's get cooking!

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Sometimes nothing else will do other than a plate of buttered noodles. But it's so easy to jazz up this classic comfort food by adding aromatic garlic, lemon, nutty Parmesan cheese, and fresh parsley.
This easy pasta recipe is creamy, rich and savory, with a silky sauce that will make you wish you made a double batch (you should!). Or, make a similar sauce that's packed with spinach by making my green pasta sauce.
Serve garlic butter pasta as a vegetarian main accompanied with a side salad, or as a side to your favorite protein-based meal.
For more vegetarian pasta recipes, try my shallot pasta, mushroom spinach pasta, or vegetarian pasta bake.
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⭐️ Why These Garlic Buttered Noodles are the Best
- Decadent and buttery noodles in a silky and garlicky sauce are the perfect comfort food for a busy weeknight or lazy weekend
- Effortless recipe that's ready in 20 minutes using 6 simple ingredients that you most likely already have on hand
- Pair it with your favorite protein for a heartier meal or accompany it with a side salad
- Budget-friendly weeknight meal
🍝 Ingredient Notes
- Pasta - I like using long, thin noodles for this dish since it works well with the silky sauce. Spaghetti, angel hair, linguine, or bucatini noodles all work great.
- Butter - Salted or unsalted works here, but you won't need to add as much salt at the end if you use salted butter.
- Garlic - Since we only use a few simple ingredients here, I strongly recommend using fresh garlic for the best flavor.
- Parmesan cheese - You can use a block of fresh Parmesan or buy it pre-shredded. Just be aware that pre-grated cheese does not melt as well.
- Lemon - Adds bright citrus flavor and complexity
- Fresh parsley - Adds fresh aromatics to our rich pasta dish.
📝 Variations & Substitutions
- Gluten-free: Substitute your favorite gluten-free pasta and cook according to package instructions.
- Spicy: Add 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes for a pop of heat.
- Make dairy-free: Swap in your favorite dairy-free butter and omit the Parmesan cheese, or use nutritional yeast in place of the cheese. Nutritional yeast has a cheesy and nutty flavor which many vegan folks use in place of Parmesan!
- Zoodles: For a low-carb meal, use zucchini noodles.
- Add protein: For a high-protein meal, add cooked chicken, shrimp (make my shrimp and spaghetti), or chickpeas.
- Add veggies: Adding 1 or 2 bunches of leafy greens like spinach, kale, or Swiss chard goes a long way to making this a healthy meal.
🔪 How to Make Garlic Butter Pasta
Over high heat, bring a large pot of (salted) water to a boil. Cook pasta according to (al dente) package instructions. After pasta is cooked, set aside 1 cup of pasta water and drain the pasta.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
Add cooked pasta to the skillet, along with ¼ cup of pasta water, and gently coat the noodles using kitchen tongs. Add more pasta water if needed, and toss noodles, until you have a silky sauce.
Remove from heat, add grated Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, and toss once more. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tips
- Storage Instructions: Place in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- How to reheat: Place leftovers in a medium skillet with 1-2 tablespoons of water, and heat on medium-low for 5-8 minutes, until heated through.
- Salt your pasta water. As the water is absorbed into the noodles, the salt is absorbed along with it, giving it flavor. So, be generous with the salt!
- Reserve pasta water. Be sure to reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining. It contains starch, which helps to thicken the sauce and ensures that it sticks to the pasta.
- Cook pasta al dente. Nobody likes overcooked, mushy pasta, so be sure to cook your pasta according to package instructions. It should be firm-tender and chewy when you bite into it.
🍽 How to Serve Butter and Garlic Pasta
Serve your noodles as a creamy side dish to salmon, chicken, or shrimp.
Top with healthy baked meatballs for a fun take on spaghetti and meatballs.
Pair with a delicious side salad, like fennel salad or apple cucumber salad.
Accompany your pasta with vegetables, like broccoli, asparagus, or my roasted green beans and carrots.
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
Garlic butter sauce is a very simple sauce made by melting butter and lightly cooking garlic in the butter. Add cooked noodles to the pan and toss with the sauce for a delicious weeknight meal.
Adding starchy pasta water helps to thicken your sauce.
Yes, adding butter to pasta adds rich flavor and prevents your noodles from sticking together.
🍽 Related Recipes
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Easy Garlic Butter Pasta Recipe
Equipment
- 1 large skillet
- 1 large saucepan
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti pasta
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 5 garlic cloves, minced or thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- Lemon zest and juice from ½ of a lemon
- 3 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Over high heat, bring a large pot of (salted) water to a boil. Cook pasta according to (al dente) package instructions. After pasta is cooked, set aside 1 cup of pasta water and drain the pasta.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add cooked pasta to the skillet, along with ¼ cup of pasta water, and gently coat the noodles using kitchen tongs. Add more pasta water if needed, and toss noodles, until you have a silky sauce.
- Remove from heat, add grated Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice, and toss once more. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
-
- Storage: Place in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
-
- Salt your pasta water. As the water is absorbed into the noodles, the salt is absorbed along with it, giving it flavor. So, be generous with the salt!
-
- Reserve pasta water. Be sure to reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining. It contains starch, which helps to thicken the sauce and ensures that it sticks to the pasta.
-
- Cook pasta al dente. Nobody likes overcooked, mushy pasta, so be sure to cook your pasta according to package instructions. It should be firm-tender and chewy when you bite into it.
Vivian Valentin
I tried this recipe and I was so glad and truly happy to eat "real tasty" meal. This was great after a serious bout of acute diverticulitis. Very satisfying.
Deborah Stemen
🤤.
Mac
What a great "recipe". Would have never thought to combine those ingredients to make a main course.
The only thing I did different was I browned the butter for a nuttier flavor.
MaryAnne
Hi Mac, browning the butter sounds delicious! Thanks for the great review!
Carol
Love this recipe, easy to make added half an onion with garlic and used basil instead of parsley. 😋
MaryAnne
Hi Carol, the basil sounds delicious! So happy to hear that you loved it! 😍
Denise Giallombardo
This was so easy to make! I’m Sicilian, so I’m always looking for new recipes for pasta. The butter was a different twist, and that and the butter were absolutely delicious. I added cherry tomatoes, halved, fresh basil sautéed with the garlic , and then shredded some more basil on top of the pasta. I also have some sin, breaded, chicken cutlets, and I sauté that and then added it in with the garlic and the tomatoes.
MaryAnne
Hi Denise, so happy you enjoyed this pasta dish! The addition of tomatoes, basil, and chicken sound delicious!
Porsha Stepney
Added shrimp and dinner was served
MaryAnne
Sounds delicious, Porsha!
Ana
I absolutely love this pasta its creamy and garlicky so easy 👌🏴🇺🇸
MaryAnne
Thanks so much, Ana! It's a favorite in my house as well! 😉