Lazy Girl Three-Ingredient Pasta (Print Version)

A quick creamy pasta with butter and Parmesan, perfect for a cozy and easy meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 7 ounces dried spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine

→ Sauce

02 - 3.5 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 - 2.1 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese

→ For Finishing

04 - Salt, to taste
05 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste (optional)

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to package instructions.
02 - Reserve about 2/3 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
03 - Return hot pasta to pot off heat. Add butter and toss until fully melted and pasta is evenly coated.
04 - Add Parmesan cheese and 1/4 to 1/3 cup of reserved pasta water. Toss vigorously until a creamy sauce forms, adding more water as needed for desired consistency.
05 - Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately, optionally topped with extra Parmesan.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 20 minutes using pantry staples you probably already have
  • The sauce magically transforms from separate ingredients into something luxurious and creamy
02 -
  • The sauce only works if you toss the pasta constantly off the heat. Stop stirring and the cheese will seize into clumps instead of becoming creamy.
  • Room temperature ingredients emulsify more easily than cold ones. Take the butter and cheese out of the fridge before you start boiling the water.
03 -
  • Use tongs to toss the pasta instead of a spoon. They grab the noodles and help distribute the sauce more evenly without breaking the strands.
  • Grate the cheese finely using the small holes on your box grater. Larger shreds melt slowly and can leave you with grainy patches in the sauce.
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