Lazy Girl Three-Ingredient Pasta (Printer-friendly)

Creamy butter and Parmesan sauce combine with pasta for a quick and satisfying dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 7 oz dried pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine)

→ Sauce

02 - 3.5 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 2 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese

→ For Finishing

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

# Directions:

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

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's genuinely ready in under twenty minutes, no shortcuts or pretending.
  • The simplicity means you taste the actual ingredients instead of a jumble of flavors.
  • Somehow feels fancy enough for company but honest enough for a solo dinner.
02 -
  • The pasta must still be hot when the butter goes in, or the whole thing seizes up and refuses to become a sauce.
  • Grate your cheese right before cooking—pre-grated cheese has cellulose in it that creates a gritty texture instead of that creamy blend you're after.
03 -
  • The emulsification happens through vigorous tossing, not slow stirring—treat it like you're trying to make a point with that spoon.
  • Some nights I add a tiny pinch of nutmeg or red pepper flakes just to feel like I'm changing things up, but the core magic is always the same.
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