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–+ servings
Swirled spaghetti pasta in a bowl topped with breadcrumbs and fresh parsley.

Pasta with Garlic Butter

Skip basic buttered noodles and make this Pasta with Garlic Butter instead, starring a flavorful compound butter with roasted garlic, inspired by classic garlic bread. This weeknight dinner takes the best part of garlic bread - the garlicky, herbed butter - and turns it into a proper sauce for pasta!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings: 2
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 4-6 oz spaghetti
For the Compound Butter
  • 4 tbsp butter room temperature (I prefer salted)
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1/4 tsp chili flakes
  • 1 head roasted garlic
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
For the Roasted Garlic
  • 1 garlic head
  • 1/2 tbsp butter
  • pinch of salt
For the Breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 tbsp butter I use salted
  • 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Method
 

Roast the Garlic
  1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Slice off the top of the garlic head to expose the cloves.
  2. Place the garlic on a piece of foil, drizzle with 1/2 tbsp butter and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
  3. Wrap the garlic in the foil and roast for 40–50 minutes, or until the cloves are soft and golden.
Make the Compound Butter
  1. In a small bowl, combine the room-temperature butter, roasted garlic, chopped parsley, chili flakes, salt, and black pepper and lemon zest.
  2. Mix until well combined and set aside.
Prepare the Breadcrumbs
  1. In a skillet, melt 1 tbsp butter over medium heat.
  2. Add the breadcrumbs and toast them until golden brown, stirring frequently (about 3–4 minutes).
  3. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and remove from heat and set aside.
Cook the Pasta
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions until al dente.
  2. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining the spaghetti.
Combine and Serve
  1. Transfer the cooked spaghetti into a large bowl.
  2. Immediately add the compound butter to the hot spaghetti. Toss until the spaghetti is evenly coated, adding a splash of the reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
  3. Serve immediately, topped with the toasted breadcrumbs and additional parsley or Parmesan, if desired.

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