Creamy Garlic Butter Ditalini (Printable View)

Comforting creamy garlic butter pasta made with tender ditalini, Parmesan, and a touch of cream.

# 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 about 8 minutes until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup pasta water, then drain the pasta.
02 - Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant without browning.
03 - Reduce heat, then stir in heavy cream and reserved pasta water. Bring to a gentle simmer.
04 - Add cooked ditalini to the skillet. Toss gently to coat evenly with the sauce.
05 - Sprinkle Parmesan, black pepper, and salt. Stir until the sauce is smooth and creamy. If too thick, add additional pasta water as needed.
06 - Remove from heat. Stir in parsley and lemon zest if using. Adjust seasoning to taste.
07 - Serve immediately, optionally garnished with extra Parmesan and parsley.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's genuinely ready in fifteen minutes, which means weeknight dinners stop being stressful.
  • The sauce tastes like you've been simmering it for hours, but it's just butter, garlic, and cream doing their magic.
  • Your kitchen will smell like an Italian trattoria for the rest of the evening.
02 -
  • Don't brown the garlic or you'll have a bitter undertone that ruins the whole dish—golden and fragrant is the target, which takes only about ninety seconds.
  • Reserve that pasta water before draining or you'll regret it; if your sauce seizes up or gets too thick, a splash of that starchy liquid fixes it instantly.
03 -
  • Fresh Parmesan makes a visible difference—the cheese melts more smoothly and the flavor is clean and sharp rather than dusty and dull.
  • If you have white wine nearby, a splash in the cream gives the sauce a subtle complexity that tastes like restaurant food.
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