Lazy Girl Three-Ingredient Pasta (Print)

Quick creamy pasta with butter, Parmesan, and pasta water for a simple, comforting dish.

# Ingredients:

→ Pasta

01 - 7 oz dried pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine)

→ Sauce

02 - 3.5 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 2 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese

→ For Finishing

04 - Salt, to taste
05 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente.
02 - Reserve about 2/3 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
03 - Return the hot pasta to the pot off heat. Add the butter and toss until melted and the pasta is evenly coated.
04 - Add the Parmesan cheese and 1/4 to 1/3 cup of reserved pasta water. Toss vigorously until a creamy sauce forms, adding more water as needed for desired consistency.
05 - Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, with optional extra Parmesan on top.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under twenty minutes, which means you can make dinner faster than delivery arrives.
  • The sauce is genuinely silky and rich, tasting nothing like a shortcut despite requiring basically nothing.
  • There's something deeply satisfying about watching butter and cheese transform into something creamy without any cream involved.
02 -
  • The starch in the pasta water is what creates the creaminess, not cream itself—skip saving it and you'll have a greasy, separated mess instead of sauce.
  • Temperature matters enormously; if your pasta cools down at all before you start the sauce, it won't emulsify the same way, so work quickly and keep everything hot.
  • Pre-grated Parmesan genuinely will not work the same way, and you'll figure this out unfortunately by trial and failure like I did.
03 -
  • Keep a small measuring cup next to your pasta pot specifically for catching pasta water—you want it clean and starchy, not mixed with oil or random kitchen clutter.
  • The moment the pasta water hits the cheese and butter, you'll see an immediate change in texture; that's your signal you're doing it right, and it builds confidence for next time.
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