Parmesan Pasta
Posted Feb 09, 2025
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This parmesan pasta recipe is a quick and easy dinner or side dish made with 4 ingredients in 15 minutes.
This parmesan pasta recipe is an incredibly easy and delicious dish that pairs perfectly with all your favorite Italian recipes.
A simple and flavorful parmesan sauce is made while the pasta is cooking, then used to generously coat the noodles for a cheesy, crowd-pleasing main or side dish.
Parmesan Pasta Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Salted butter. unsalted butter is a great substitute. You can substitute up to half of the butter with olive oil, if desired.
- Parmesan cheese. use high-quality, freshly grated parmesan for the best results.
- Pasta. Bucatini is my favorite, but we also love angel hair and spaghetti. You can choose your favorite noodle shape and size.
How to Make Parmesan Pasta
This parmesan pasta is very simple to make, but as always we will walk through the process together. Don’t forget to watch the video.
Begin by cooking pasta until it’s al dente. Remove pasta from the water with tongs and transfer it to a bowl so you can reserve the pasta water.
While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. Begin by melting the butter in a 5 quart stockpot over medium heat.
Then, add the parmesan cheese and whisk to combine.
Once the butter and cheese mixture is smooth, whisk in ½ cup of the reserved pasta water. Then, add additional pasta water (up to 1 cup total) until your sauce reaches your desired consistency.
If desired, add salt and pepper to taste. (the cheese is salty, so add carefully). Then, add the cooked pasta.
Stir until the pasta is coated in the cheese sauce.
Serve
Serve the Parmesan pasta warm, topped with chopped fresh basil and extra grated parmesan cheese.
I suggest serving it with your favorite Italian recipes like meatballs, panzanella salad, bruschetta, etc.
Store/Freeze
Store leftover parmesan pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, or in the freezer for 1 month.
Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Parmesan Pasta Recipe FAQS
Yes, you can double the recipe easily!
You can use chicken broth or whole milk in place of the pasta water.
No, do not rinse the pasta in water. It absorbs the sauce better if it is not rinsed.
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Parmesan Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti (preferably bucatini)
- ¼ cup salted butter softened
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: garnish with fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese.
Instructions
- Cook pasta until al dente. Remove pasta with tongs into a bowl. Reserve the pasta water.
- Melt the butter in a 5 quart stockpot over medium heat.
- Add the parmesan cheese and whisk to combine.
- Add ½ cup pasta water and whisk until smooth. Add additional pasta water (up to 1 cup) until desired sauce consistency is reached.
- If desired, add salt and pepper to taste. (the cheese is salty, so add carefully).
- Add pasta and stir to combine.
- Serve topped with chopped fresh basil and extra grated parmesan cheese.
Video
Notes
- Salted butter. unsalted butter is a great substitute. You can substitute up to half of the butter with olive oil, if desired.
- Parmesan cheese. use high-quality, freshly grated parmesan for the best results.
- Pasta. Bucatini is my favorite, but we also love angel hair and spaghetti. You can choose your favorite noodle shape and size.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
