Creamy sauce over pasta (Printable)
Silky pasta coated in a rich garlic Parmesan sauce, perfect for easy weeknight dinners.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz dried fettuccine or spaghetti
02 - Salt for boiling water
→ Creamy Sauce
03 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 cup heavy cream
06 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
08 - 1/4 tsp nutmeg, optional
09 - Salt to taste
→ Garnish
10 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
11 - Extra Parmesan for serving
# How-To Steps:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain the pasta.
02 - Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant without browning.
03 - Pour in heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
04 - Whisk in Parmesan cheese, black pepper, and nutmeg if using. Simmer for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
05 - Add drained pasta to skillet and toss to coat evenly. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water gradually to achieve desired consistency.
06 - Adjust seasoning with salt as needed. Serve immediately garnished with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It comes together in thirty minutes, which means you can have restaurant-quality food on a random Tuesday without losing your mind.
- The sauce tastes like it took hours to develop, but all it really needs is patience and good butter.
- There's something deeply comforting about a dish this creamy and simple that somehow feels like both comfort food and something you'd serve at a dinner party.
02 -
- Never let the cream come to a hard boil, or it can break and become grainy instead of silky; medium heat and gentle simmering are everything.
- That reserved pasta water isn't just a backup plan—a little starch from the pasta helps the sauce cling to each strand in a way that makes the dish feel complete rather than soupy or separated.
- Parmesan can seize into clumpy bits if the pan is too hot when you add it; whisk it in while the cream is gently simmering, not boiling.
03 -
- Use room-temperature pasta water when you add it to the sauce—cold water can shock the cream and make it seize up.
- Good Parmesan makes all the difference; it's worth buying a small wedge and grating it yourself rather than using pre-shredded, which won't emulsify as smoothly.