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Garlic Parmesan Pasta

This is basically Italian cacio e pepe but with garlic and butter instead of black pepper. The pasta water does all the heavy lifting to create a silky sauce that coats every strand.
prep time10 minutes
cook time15 minutes
total time25 minutes
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Ingredients

Ingredients (~6 servings)

  • 1 lb dry spaghetti
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups reserved pasta water, from cooking spaghetti
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1 Tbsp pieces
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic, ~4-5 cloves
  • 3 oz parmesan, ~1 1/2 heaping cups, finely shredded

Instructions

  • Bring salted water to boil and cook spaghetti until al dente, about 10-12 minutes.
  • Reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta water before draining.
  • Melt butter in pot over medium-low heat and sauté garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  • Remove from heat and add pasta, 3/4 cup reserved water, and parmesan.
  • Toss until cheese melts and creates creamy sauce, adding more pasta water as needed.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

Don't brown garlic or it will taste bitter.