Lazy Girl Three Ingredient Pasta (Printable)

Simple creamy pasta using butter, Parmesan, and pasta water; ready in under 20 minutes.

# 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)

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions.
02 - Reserve about 2/3 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta thoroughly.
03 - Return the hot pasta to the pot off the heat. Add the butter and toss until melted, fully coating the pasta.
04 - Sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese and slowly add 1/4 to 1/3 cup of reserved pasta water. Toss vigorously to create a smooth, creamy sauce, adjusting with more water if needed.
05 - Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately, optionally garnished with additional Parmesan.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than delivery and tastes like something from an Italian restaurant
  • You probably have everything in your kitchen right now
02 -
  • The vigorous tossing is what creates the emulsion so do not be gentle with your pasta
  • Cold pasta water will break the sauce so make sure it is hot when you add it
03 -
  • Grate the cheese on the finest holes of your box grater so it practically dissolves into the sauce
  • Use room temperature butter if you remember because it incorporates more easily than cold butter
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