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Super Easy Garlic Butter Pasta

For the days when comfort needs to appear in minutes.

This garlic butter pasta comes together in under 15 minutes, yet tastes rich and restaurant-worthy. The sauce is creamy without using cream — just butter, olive oil, and starchy pasta water emulsifying together. Thinly sliced garlic turns golden and fragrant, adding sweetness without bitterness. It’s the kind of simple pasta you can make on busy weeknights, lazy Sundays, or when you crave something comforting and satisfying with minimal effort.

Super Easy Garlic Butter Pasta bytammy

Why You’ll Love This

Cook this once and suddenly you’re “the friend who makes amazing pasta.”
Congratulations — your secret is butter!

Time: 15 minutes · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

  • Spaghetti — 200 g
  • Garlic, thinly sliced — 3–4 cloves
  • Butter — 3 tbsp
  • Olive oil — 1–2 tbsp
  • Parsley, chopped — a handful
  • Grated Parmesan — ¼ cup
  • Salt & pepper — to taste
  • Chili flakes (optional) — a pinch

How To Make It

  1. Cook the pasta.
    Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente. Before draining, scoop out ½ cup of the pasta water and set aside.
  2. Prepare the garlic butter.
    In a pan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt gently.
  3. Add the garlic.
    Stir in the sliced garlic and cook until lightly golden and fragrant. Do not let it turn brown.
  4. Combine everything.
    Add the cooked pasta directly into the pan. Toss to coat.
  5. Adjust the sauce.
    Pour in 2–3 tablespoons of pasta water at a time until the pasta becomes glossy and the sauce clings nicely.
  6. Finish.
    Season with salt, pepper, and Parmesan. Add parsley and toss again.

Good To Know

  • Use both butter and olive oil to prevent the butter from burning while still keeping a rich flavor.
  • Keep garlic lightly golden, never brown—that’s when it turns bitter.
  • Pasta water is your best friend. It emulsifies the sauce and gives the pasta that glossy, restaurant-style finish.
  • Add easy proteins if you want a fuller meal—shredded roasted chicken, canned tuna in olive oil, or pre-cooked shrimp work perfectly.
  • Brighten the flavor with a squeeze of lemon or a pinch of chili flakes if you like some heat.
  • Choose the right pasta shape. Spaghetti and linguine coat well with garlic butter; short pasta holds more sauce.