Description
Creamy Garlic Butter Ditalini is a comforting and flavorful pasta dish featuring tender ditalini pasta tossed in a rich, garlicky butter sauce with heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. This easy-to-make recipe combines simple ingredients to create a luscious, creamy texture with bright notes from optional fresh parsley and lemon zest. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a satisfying side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Pasta
- 10.5 oz ditalini pasta
- 8 cups water
- 1 tablespoon salt
For the Garlic Butter Sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup reserved pasta water
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)
- Zest of ½ lemon (optional)
Instructions
- Cook pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ditalini pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water before draining the pasta thoroughly.
- Prepare garlic butter sauce: In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the unsalted butter. Add the finely minced garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant, taking care not to let the garlic brown.
- Combine cream and pasta water: Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream and the reserved pasta water, allowing the mixture to come to a gentle simmer to meld the flavors.
- Incorporate pasta: Add the cooked ditalini to the skillet and toss it thoroughly to coat every piece of pasta with the creamy garlic butter sauce.
- Add seasonings: Sprinkle in the freshly grated Parmesan cheese, ground black pepper, and salt. Stir well until the sauce becomes smooth and creamy. If the sauce seems too thick, add more reserved pasta water to adjust the consistency to your liking.
- Finish and serve: Remove the skillet from heat. Stir in the chopped fresh parsley and lemon zest if using, then taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve immediately, optionally garnished with extra Parmesan cheese and parsley.
Notes
- Be careful not to overcook the garlic to avoid bitterness; it should be fragrant but not browned.
- Reserve some pasta water to adjust sauce consistency without diluting flavor.
- Parmesan cheese can be substituted with Pecorino Romano for a sharper taste.
- For a lighter version, substitute heavy cream with half-and-half or whole milk, though the sauce will be less rich.
- The optional lemon zest and parsley add a fresh zing that brightens the creamy sauce nicely.
- This dish is best eaten immediately to enjoy the creamy texture before the sauce thickens.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: ditalini pasta, garlic butter sauce, creamy pasta, easy pasta recipe, Italian pasta dish, Parmesan cheese pasta, quick dinner
