garlic butter pasta

this garlic butter pasta is quick, easy and delicious! al dente pasta is tossed in a bright, garlic butter tomato sauce, elevated with an extra touch of butter and a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

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this garlic butter tomato pasta is the perfect weeknight meal, and the best part is that it comes together in minutes! it features tender pasta mixed in a delightfully garlicky tomato sauce, a generous cube of butter for extra richness and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese for a subtle nutty and salty note. with its simple ingredients and minimal prep time, this pasta is about to become one of your go-to comfort foods.

why you will love this easy garlic butter pasta recipe:

• easy to make: this garlic butter pasta recipe uses simple ingredients that are readily available, and that you are likely to already have at home. it also comes together in a matter of minutes, which makes it great great for busy nights or just when you feel like a comforting meal without spending hours in the kitchen.

• lighter than typical cream sauces – despite the butter in this recipe, the sauce is a lot lighter and brighter than heavy cream sauces, so this is a great option for when you’re feeling something a little less heavy and indulgent.

• satisfying and comforting – despite its simplicity, this garlic butter tomato pasta is really satisfying and comforting, and somewhat similar to buttered noodles, which is a classic comfort meal. it’s perfect for days when you’re craving something warm and hearty.

learn how to make this quick garlic butter pasta:

to make this garlic butter parmesan pasta, we’re going to start off by cooking the pasta. then, in a pan, we’ll make a quick garlic butter pasta sauce by cooking fresh garlic in butter until it becomes a light golden colour. then, we’ll add tomato paste, chicken stock and some extra seasonings. once the sauce thickens up, we’ll add the cooked pasta, then add some more butter as well as some parmesan cheese and mix that into the pasta. top with more parmesan and we’re done!

garlic butter pasta ingredients:

• pasta – you can use any shape of pasta that you prefer. boil the pasta with salt, water and a bit of oil in the pot.

• butter – this garlic butter pasta recipe uses salted butter. we’ll cook the garlic in butter and also add some butter later on to mix into the pasta.

• garlic – i like to make the garlic butter pasta sauce with minced garlic for this recipe.

• tomato paste – i’m just using a small amount of tomato paste for this recipe to add some colour and flavour.

• seasonings – this recipe just uses a mix of black pepper, red chilli flakes, and mixed herbs. i did not add extra salt because of the chicken stock, but if you feel like it needs some extra salt, feel free to add that in.

• chicken stock – you can use chicken stock or chicken stock powder mixed in water.

• parmesan – mix some freshly grated parmesan into the pasta and top it with some more after serving.

• pasta water – i did not use any pasta water in this recipe as the consistency felt fine to me with just the chicken stock but if you feel that your garlic butter pasta sauce needs more water, feel free to save some pasta water when draining the cooked pasta and add that in.

step by step instructions

for full measurements, keep scrolling down to the recipe below.

step one: boil your pasta in water with some salt and a little bit of oil and cook according to package instructions. once the pasta is cooked, it should be firm with a little bit of bite to it, and not overly soft. drain the pasta and set it aside.

step two: heat up your pan, the melt butter in the pan. add fresh minced garlic. cook the garlic in the butter over low-medium heat until it becomes a light golden colour – this took about a minute.

step three: add the tomato paste, and cook this over medium heat.

step four: add the chicken stock, as well as the black pepper, red chilli flakes and mixed herbs and mix everything together. bring the mixture to a boil.

step five: add the cooked pasta and mix it into the garlic butter pasta sauce. cook this for a few minutes.

step six: remove the pan from the heat, then add butter and parmesan cheese and mix it into the pasta.

step seven: serve, top with more freshly grated parmesan cheese and let’s eat!

tips and notes

• cook the pasta al dente – slightly undercook the pasta shells as they will continue to slightly cook and soften when you add them to the sauce at the end. this ensures the perfect texture and prevents the pasta from becoming overly soft and mushy..

• if you want to adjust the consistency of the sauce, feel free to add more chicken stock.

• if you want to thin the sauce out further, you can save some of the leftover pasta water when draining the cooked pasta and add that in. this will also help the sauce cling to the pasta.

• adjust seasonings to your taste – if you don’t like much spice, feel free to reduce the amounts of the black pepper and the red chilli flakes in this recipe. i did not add salt to this since the chicken stock and the parmesan cheese add saltiness to this dish, and i also used salted butter. if you feel that the pasta needs some extra salt, then go ahead and add some to the sauce.

• make this garlic butter pasta with chicken or shrimp for some extra protein.

• feel free to adjust the amounts of butter in the garlic butter sauce if you want it to be a bit richer. i wanted to keep the sauce and this recipe relatively light, so i decided not to add too much.

• if you don’t like the tangy, strong taste of tomato paste, you can add the tomato paste earlier on in the recipe and cook it for longer. add the tomato paste with the minced garlic and cook it in the butter. this will help caramelise it and remove some of the acidic taste.

• for the best flavour and texture grate the parmesan cheese fresh instead of using pre-grated cheese.

frequently asked questions

1. can i add vegetables to this garlic butter tomato pasta?

   – of course! you can definitely customise this recipe and add any of your favourite vegetables.

2. can i make this dish spicier?

   – if you want to make this garlic butter pasta a little spicier, you can adjust the amount of the red chilli flakes in this recipe or add some extra spices.

3. can i make this garlic butter pasta with heavy cream?

   – i wanted to keep this garlic butter pasta easy and simple so i decided to omit the cream or milk for this recipe. however, if you’d like the sauce to be creamy, you can add some heavy cream after adding the chicken stock and seasonings and bringing that to a boil. stir the heavy cream in over low heat and then let it simmer until the sauce thickens.

4. do i have to make this garlic butter pasta with parmesan?

   – parmesan adds a delicious savoury and salty note to this dish but it’s absolutely not necessary. you can omit the parmesan cheese if you don’t have it or would prefer a lighter version of this dish.

5. can i make this garlic butter pasta with garlic powder instead of fresh garlic?

   – fresh garlic is recommended for this recipe for the best flavour. however, if you don’t have fresh garlic, then you can use garlic powder instead.

6. can i make this garlic butter pasta with tomatoes instead of tomato paste?

   – yes, you can use fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes instead of tomato paste. bear in mind that this will change the consistency and flavour of the sauce. if using fresh tomatoes, chop them and cook them down until they break apart and form a sauce. if using canned tomatoes, simmer the sauce until it thickens to your desired consistency.

7. do i have to use chicken stock for this garlic butter pasta recipe?

   – you can use chicken stock powder mixed in water instead of chicken stock. alternatively, if you’d like to keep this vegetarian, you can us vegetable stock or pasta water. if using pasta water, you might need to adjust seasonings as the sauce might lack some flavour.

8. do i have to use butter for this garlic butter pasta recipe, or can i use oil?

   – butter is one of the main ingredients in this garlic butter pasta recipe as it gives the sauce richness and flavour. however, if you want to make this recipe a bit light, you can replace some or all of the butter with oil.

9. what can i serve with this garlic butter pasta?

   – this garlic butter pasta would pair well with a simple salad, some garlic bread or even a side of roasted vegetables. you could also serve it with some chicken or shrimp for extra protein.

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