15-Minute Creamy Garlic Butter (Printable)

Silky ditalini pasta blended with garlic butter, cream, and Parmesan for a quick, satisfying dinner.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10.5 oz ditalini pasta
02 - 8 cups water
03 - 1 tablespoon salt

→ Sauce

04 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
05 - 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
06 - ½ cup heavy cream
07 - ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
08 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
09 - ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
10 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)
11 - Zest of ½ lemon (optional)

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add ditalini and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup pasta water, then drain pasta.
02 - While pasta cooks, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant but not browned.
03 - Reduce heat to low. Stir in heavy cream and reserved pasta water, bringing mixture to a gentle simmer.
04 - Add cooked ditalini to the skillet and toss to coat evenly.
05 - Sprinkle in Parmesan, black pepper, and salt. Stir until sauce is smooth and creamy and pasta is well coated. If sauce is too thick, add a splash more pasta water.
06 - Remove skillet from heat. Stir in parsley and lemon zest if using. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan and parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in 15 minutes flat, which means weeknight dinners stop feeling like a negotiation with time.
  • The sauce clings to those tiny pasta tubes perfectly, delivering creamy garlic goodness in every single bite.
  • It tastes far more restaurant-quality than the minimal effort required, making you feel like you've actually accomplished something in the kitchen.
02 -
  • The pasta water is your secret weapon—it contains starch that helps the sauce cling to the pasta and lets you adjust thickness without adding more liquid that dilutes the flavor.
  • Don't let the garlic brown; it takes just a minute to go from fragrant to bitter, and there's no recovery from burnt garlic in something this simple.
03 -
  • Reserve your pasta water before draining—the moment you forget is the moment you need it most, so make it an absolute habit.
  • If you want extra richness, a tablespoon of mascarpone stirred in at the end adds a subtle creaminess that feels almost indulgent without becoming heavy.
Return