This garlic butter sauce for pasta is simple but spot on in flavor! Pair garlic with Parmesan and pasta water for a killer sauce.

Looking for a simple sauce that packs a big flavor punch? Try this Garlic Butter Sauce for Pasta! It’s easy to whip up with only a handful of ingredients, but man is it irresistible. It’s made with simple pantry ingredients, great as a pasta side dish or easy dinner idea. You can also throw in add-ins based on what you have on hand: sauteed mushrooms, kale, sausage crumbles, more cheese, etc. Add a little Parmesan cheese and it’s elegantly simple (and it’s great for kids too!).

Ingredients in this garlic butter sauce pasta

All you need is a handful of ingredients: and all are pantry ingredients or last for weeks in the refrigerator. Here’s what you’ll need for this simple garlic butter sauce:

Garlic cloves
Olive oil
Salted butter
Kosher salt
Red pepper flakes
Parmesan cheese

Tips for making the garlic butter sauce!

This garlic butter sauce pasta is so simple, you barely have to think about making it. There are only a few things to note when you’re whipping up this homemade sauce:

Use olive oil and butter. This sauce uses a combination of butter with olive oil: this makes for a nuanced, interesting flavor. Olive oil is also the healthiest cooking fat.
Mince the garlic using this easy tutorial! The best way to do it is just with a chef’s knife: follow the video to find the quickest way around this knife skill.
Remove the garlic from the heat just before it browns! Garlic can go from golden to burned quickly. Keep your eye on it and don’t move from the stove until you’ve safely removed it from the heat: this should be just 2 to 3 minutes.

Cook the pasta to al dente…and don’t forget to save the water!

There are two keys to the pasta in this recipe. First of all: make sure it’s al dente. Al dente means “to the bite” in Italian: it’s pasta that’s cooked until it’s perfectly tender but with a firm center. Overcooked pasta is not only rubbery and unappetizing: it actually has less nutrients and makes you less full! Then, you’ll need to make sure to pull out some pasta water before you drain the pot.

Check before the package instructions indicate. Most pasta packages have timing that results in overcooked pasta. Start tasting the pasta a few minutes before the package indicates.
Taste often! You want to catch it right when there’s a small white fleck at the core, or just when it disappears. Pasta can go from al dente to overcooked in a matter of seconds.
Save the pasta water for making the sauce. It can be hard to remember, but make sure to save out about ½ cup of starchy pasta water for making the garlic butter sauce! It helps to thicken the sauce and make it glossy.

Makes 3 to 4 small portions

This garlic butter sauce pasta recipe is for half pound of pasta. Depending on you and your family, this makes 3 to 4 modest sized main dishservings. But if you’ve got big eaters, you’ll want to increase the amount of pasta, add some mix ins, or make sure to have a few filling side dishes to go with it. You’ll especially want to add ingredients with protein and fiber to make it part of a filling meal.

You can also serve this as a pasta side dish! It’s versatile and pairs with many types of main dishes.

Mix-ins for garlic butter sauce pasta

This garlic butter sauce pasta is ripe for customizing to your taste and what you have on hand! There are lots of vegetables or protein ideas to mix in. Here are a few ideas:

Mushrooms: Add Sauteed Mushrooms, or make Mushroom Pasta
Broccoli: Add Pan Fried Broccoli
Zucchini: Add Sauteed Zucchini
Eggplant: Add Roasted Eggplant
Mixed vegetables: Throw in our Ultimate Sauteed Vegetables
Sausage or plant based crumbles: Add sauteed sausage, vegan ground beef, or purchased plant-based crumbles
Goat cheese: Add 2 to 4 ounces soft goat cheese to make a creamy variation on the sauce

Make it a meal: add a few side dishes!

What to add to this garlic butter sauce pasta to make it a meal? Pasta on its own isn’t a great source of protein or fiber, so you’ll want to add some dishes that complete the nutrients. Here are some ideas:

Salad like Arugula Salad, Goat Cheese Salad with Arugula, Celery Salad with Apples, Simple Carrot Salad, or Spinach Apple Salad
Beans like Borlotti Beans, Easy White Beans, or Easy Cannellini Beans
Veggies like Lemony Broiled Asparagus, Sauteed Green Beans, Brussels Sprouts with Maple Glaze, or Ultimate Sauteed Vegetables

This garlic butter sauce pasta recipe is…

Vegetarian. For gluten free, use gluten free or legume pasta.