Lazy Girl Three Ingredient Pasta (Printable Version)

A creamy pasta dish with butter, Parmesan, and pasta water, ready in under 20 minutes.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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)

# Step-by-Step Instructions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente.
02 - Reserve about 2/3 cup of pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta thoroughly.
03 - Return hot pasta to the pot off the heat. Add butter and toss until melted and pasta is evenly coated.
04 - Sprinkle in Parmesan cheese and gradually add 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 freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately, optionally topped with extra Parmesan.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It actually tastes luxurious despite being made from pantry staples you probably already have.
  • The whole thing comes together in under twenty minutes, perfect for nights when cooking feels like too much.
  • There's something deeply satisfying about watching butter, cheese, and starchy water transform into silky sauce right before your eyes.
02 -
  • The starch in the pasta water is what emulsifies the butter and cheese into sauce—without it, you'll just have greasy pasta, so don't skip this step even if it feels counterintuitive.
  • Timing matters here; once the sauce comes together, serve it right away or it will break and separate as everything cools down.
03 -
  • Use the finest microplane grater you have for the Parmesan—it creates a finer texture that incorporates more evenly into the sauce.
  • The difference between al dente and overcooked is about thirty seconds, so taste a strand a minute before the package says it's done.
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