Garlic Butter Makes For A Simple Yet Flavorful Pasta Sauce

Karen Hart
·2 min read
1
Plate of garlic butter noodles
Plate of garlic butter noodles - Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock

One of the quickest ways to whip up a flavorful sauce for a satisfying pasta dish requires little more than garlic, butter, salt, pepper, and some chopped parsley if you have it. Creating a garlic butter sauce for this favorite meal staple is both easy and delicious, but it is also mission-critical to get it right. It starts with slowly melted butter and minced garlic that is sauteed until golden. Add a little seasoning for taste, and perhaps a little reserved pasta water, and voila,  you have a simple but oh-so-good sauce that is going to coat your pasta in a savory, yet subtle taste.

It's important to use unsalted butter for this sauce because it allows you to control just how salty and how much sodium you want to add to your sauce. When you melt your butter, using a saucepan on low to medium heat will help ensure you don't burn it. You don't want to add your fresh garlic -- if you have it -- until the butter has liquified. It will only take a few minutes for your garlic to soften and turn gold, so be mindful of the time.

Read more: The 20 Best Olive Oils For Cooking

Customize It

Melted butter in a bowl
Melted butter in a bowl - New Africa/Shutterstock

If you want to amp up that flavor and customize it, a butter garlic sauce is a wonderful base for other ingredients to infuse their culinary characteristics. Add a little lemon juice and that bright citrus adds a fruity note to the sauce and your pasta. Grab a handful of chopped cilantro and a little lime juice and you can tap into those peppery and sweet elements these foods offer.

What noodles work best with a garlic butter sauce? As much as we like to be pasta snobs, the right answer is whatever you have in your pantry. Spaghetti, penne, wagon wheels, or even tagliatelle works. This sauce is about ease, so no need to run out and purchase a special shape for this dish. Additionally, you do not have to reserve this sauce just for noodles. A butter garlic sauce can be used when making seafood like lobster or baked cod, drizzled on veggies, or to dip your favorite breadsticks in.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.