Garlic Butter Linguine Classic (Printable)

Silky garlic butter sauce coats tender linguine with fresh parsley for a quick, flavorful Italian-inspired dish.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz linguine

→ Sauce

02 - 6 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 6 large garlic cloves, finely minced
04 - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
05 - Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
06 - 1/2 tsp sea salt
07 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Finishing

08 - 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
09 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
10 - Extra lemon wedges, to serve

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add linguine and cook until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water then drain.
02 - Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Stir in red pepper flakes and lemon zest if using.
03 - Add drained linguine to the skillet and toss to coat in garlic butter. Gradually add reserved pasta water to achieve a silky sauce consistency.
04 - Season with sea salt and black pepper. Stir in chopped parsley and half of the Parmesan cheese if used. Toss well to combine.
05 - Plate immediately and garnish with remaining Parmesan and lemon wedges on the side.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It comes together in twenty minutes, yet tastes like you fussed over it for hours.
  • The whole dish rests on butter and garlic doing exactly what they do best, no complicated techniques required.
  • It's endlessly flexible, ready to welcome whatever vegetables or proteins you want to add on a whim.
02 -
  • The pasta water is not an afterthought, it's essential, it turns a dry dish into something that feels like it has a real sauce clinging to every strand.
  • Never walk away from garlic in hot butter, even for thirty seconds, because the line between fragrant and burnt is thin and quick.
  • The dish must be eaten immediately after plating because the sauce sets as it cools and loses its silky elegance.
03 -
  • If your sauce looks too thick once it hits the pasta, add more of that reserved pasta water one splash at a time until it flows the way you want it to.
  • The moment you finish this dish is the moment to eat it, because room-temperature garlic butter linguine loses its magic quickly.
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