Pasta with Garlic Butter Sauce

A recipe for Pasta with Garlic Butter Sauce! This quick and easy sauce is perfect for garlic lovers and comes together with only a handful of ingredients.

This Pasta with Garlic Butter Sauce is such a great option for those who love garlic and everything takes only around 15 minutes to prepare for a quick weeknight meal.

Simply simmer minced garlic briefly in butter, then toss with tender pasta before serving with a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan and chopped parsley.

It is perfect on its own as a light meal or as a side for grilled meat, seafood, or salad.

A Few Pasta with Garlic Butter Sauce Tips

Don’t love garlic as much as I do? Drop the amount down to 4-6 cloves.

Heat the garlic just until fragrant and infused with the butter. Do not let it brown or burn.

Before draining the pasta, reserve 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) of the pasta water and set aside. This will help thin out the garlic butter to create a silky coating for the pasta.

I paired the sauce with one of my favorite pasta shapes, Bucatini. Becoming more and more available in larger supermarkets, Bucatini is a tubed pasta similar in shape to spaghetti, but it has a hole running through the center that is perfect for soaking up the garlic butter sauce.

Other great options include spaghetti, penne, rotini, or other medium to long pasta shapes.

Cook the pasta until barely al dente, just tender. The noodles will continue to soften a little further as it soaks up the reserved pasta water in the pan.

I used unsalted butter and added salt separately to control the sodium content. If using salted butter, pull back on the salt and adjust seasonings to taste.

For a bit of heat, add a large pinch of red pepper flakes either to the butter or stir in at the end.

Garlic Butter Sauce Serving Ideas

I often simply use this Garlic Butter Sauce for pasta. While this is fantastic as a light meal, it also pairs well with grilled chicken and seafood.

Mushrooms, asparagus, spinach, other greens such as basil or arugula, and caramelized onions would be perfect additions to incorporate some vegetables.

You could even brown the butter a little before adding the garlic. As the butter darkens, it takes on a nutty quality to give this dish an extra boost of flavor. Definitely keep an eye on it though. Butter can quickly go from browned to burnt.

Here are some more ideas shared by my wonderful readers in the comments below:

• Pouring the sauce over grilled steak
• Sautéing mushrooms in the garlic sauce
• Adding frozen vegetables
• Serving the garlic sauce over goat cheese and black truffle ravioli
• As a sauce for spaghetti squash
• Over shrimp and lobster ravioli
• Adding two chicken breasts
• Adding more seasonings such as paprika, white wine vinegar, and/or lemon juice
• Served with shrimp
• With the addition of mushrooms, spinach, and salmon

One Pot Garlic Butter Pasta

I have recently adapted this recipe as a one-pot meal for even less dishes.

To make One Pot Garlic Butter Pasta, start by melting 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter in a large pot.

Once melted, add the 8 minced garlic cloves and cook just until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Pour in 3 cups (710 milliliters) chicken stock or broth (or a vegetable broth for a vegetarian option). Bring the broth to a simmer, season with salt and pepper, then add 1 pound (450 grams) of a medium-shaped dried pasta such as penne, rotini, or shells. I used Vesuvio in the photo above.

Pour in 1 cup (240 milliliters) milk, then cover the pot and cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8-10 minutes.

If the pasta is starting to become tender and there is still a lot of liquid remaining, remove the lid and simmer for another minute to reduce. The liquid will also thicken slightly once it starts to cool. If the pasta is still firm and all the liquid has evaporated, add a little more chicken or vegetable stock.

Remove from heat and allow the mixture to stop bubbling. Stir in 3 ounces (85 grams) of freshly grated Parmesan until evenly coated (do not add while the liquid is still bubbling or the cheese may separate). Adjust seasonings to taste.

Serve immediately with a sprinkling of fresh chopped parsley and additional Parmesan if desired.

Looking for more easy pasta recipes?

Try my:

• Mushroom Garlic Spaghetti
• Penne allo Zafferano (Penne with Saffron)
• Mizithra Browned Butter Pasta

This recipe was originally posted in April 2019 and updated in April 2025 with more variations and photos. The base recipe has remained the same.

Pasta with Garlic Butter Sauce Recipe

Adapted from Pinch of Yum

Print Pin

5 from 10 votes

Pasta with Garlic Butter Sauce

A recipe for Pasta with Garlic Butter Sauce! This quick and easy sauce is perfect for garlic lovers and comes together with only a handful of ingredients.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine N/A

Keyword butter, garlic, noodle, pasta, sauce

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound (450 grams) dried pasta medium or long shapes
• 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) reserved pasta water
• 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter
• 8 cloves cloves peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup (25 grams) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Fresh parsley chopped, for garnish

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring often, until just tender, al dente.
• Reserve 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) of the pasta water and set aside. Drain the rest of the pot and the pasta.
• While the pasta is cooking, place the butter in a large pan over medium heat.
• Once the butter is melted, add the garlic cloves and cook just until softened and fragrant, about 30 seconds to one minute. Do not brown.
• Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
• Toss the garlic butter sauce with the drained pasta and up to 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) of the reserved pasta water to create a smooth sauce.
• Top with Parmesan, parsley, and additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately.