Garlic Butter Linguine Pasta (Printable Copy)

Linguine in a creamy garlic butter sauce finished with fresh parsley and Parmesan.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz linguine

→ Sauce

02 - 6 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 6 large garlic cloves, finely minced
04 - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
05 - Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
06 - 1/2 tsp sea salt
07 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Finishing

08 - 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
09 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
10 - Extra lemon wedges, to serve

# How to Make:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add linguine and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain pasta.
02 - While pasta cooks, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1–2 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Stir in red pepper flakes and lemon zest if using.
03 - Add drained linguine to the skillet and toss to coat in garlic butter. Gradually add reserved pasta water to help sauce adhere smoothly.
04 - Season with sea salt and black pepper. Stir in chopped parsley and half the Parmesan cheese if using. Toss well to combine.
05 - Plate immediately, garnished with remaining Parmesan and extra lemon wedges on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The entire dish comes together in twenty minutes, start to finish
  • Butter and garlic create a velvety sauce that feels luxurious without any heavy cream
  • Most ingredients live in your pantry already, making it perfect for last minute dinners
02 -
  • Garlic goes from fragrant to bitter in seconds, so watch the pan closely once it hits the butter
  • The pasta water is essential because the starch helps the butter cling to every strand of pasta
03 -
  • Grate your Parmesan fresh from a wedge, the flavor difference is dramatic and the texture melts into the sauce better
  • Mince your garlic finely so it disperses evenly throughout the butter rather than leaving you with big chunks
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