Creamy Garlic Butter Spaghetti
Ready in just 15 minutes, this creamy Garlic Butter Spaghetti is an easy meal the whole family will love. Serve with a big salad and garlic bread, or add your favorite protein to feed a crowd.
Do you need quick, simple, super easy meals — that are still real food and comforting? If so, celebrate, because this creamy, garlicky pasta checks all the right boxes. It’s delicious, crowd-pleasing, and ready in 15 minutes flat.
This is so simple that I sometimes even make it for lunch, which is really saying something, because most of the time lunch in our house consists of leftovers, sandwiches, or plates of cheese and crackers. 🙂
Why you’ll love it
- Quick and easy. Did I mention it’s done in 15 minutes?
- Creamy and luscious. You’ll be amazed by how effortlessly such simple ingredients come together into such a delicious sauce.
- Versatile. Serve as-is for a simple bowl of comfort food, or add a protein, salad, or garlic bread for a fuller meal. (More ideas below!)
- Simple ingredient list. Pasta, garlic, butter, broth, cream, Parmesan, seasonings.
In fact, you probably have most of the ingredients in your kitchen right now.
Pro tip: Use heavy cream if you have it, but if you don’t, use half and half or even whole milk in a pinch. The sauce will have a thinner consistency, but I’ve tested the recipe with all three and it still works.
How to make garlic butter spaghetti
- Cook pasta in well-salted boiling water, just to al dente.
- Make sauce in a separate skillet by melting the butter, adding garlic and other seasonings, then stirring in broth and cream until smooth.
- Add drained, warm pasta to the sauce, toss, and enjoy!
A sprinkling of parsley — fresh or dried — is a really nice touch if you have it, for a pop of color and flavor.
If you’re a lemon fanatic, try adding a tiny bit of juice to the sauce, as well. Just don’t add too much, or you risk the cream sauce curdling!
What to serve with it
Let me be clear: this is perfectly acceptable to slurp up straight from bowls (or the pan!) for a simple, soul-warming meal.
That said, if you want to round things out or stretch the meal further, pair this garlic butter spaghetti with some grilled or baked chicken, garlic butter shrimp, or another protein.
An Italian salad, spinach salad, or a simple mix of arugula and pine nuts complements these flavors beautifully. And a loaf of crusty garlic bread never hurts!
More easy pasta dishes
If you love simple and quick pasta recipes, you’ll also enjoy my creamy spaghetti with mushrooms and garlicky breadcrumbs, weeknight bolognese, gnocchi alla vodka, and salmon pesto pasta. And this lemon broccoli pasta is another one-pot wonder you’ll love to have in your back pocket!
If you try this creamy garlic butter spaghetti, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. I love hearing how recipes turn out in your kitchen, and it helps other readers, too.
You can also FOLLOW me on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, and TWITTER for more great recipes and ideas!
Creamy Garlic Butter Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti or other pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup chicken broth or veggie
- 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- 1/3 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
- kosher salt & fresh-ground black pepper
- sprinkling of parsley dried or fresh
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, then add a generous tablespoon of kosher salt and the pasta. Cook just to al dente, according to package directions, then drain and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in garlic and red pepper, followed by broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the cream or half-and-half. Cook 1-2 minutes, until thickened slightly. Add Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 10-12 cranks of pepper. Stir well.
- Add drained pasta to sauce, toss to coat, and sprinkle with parsley. Serve right away.
3 Comments on “Creamy Garlic Butter Spaghetti”
Seriously amazing! Thank you! Made it tonight and it’s spot on delicious. Easy to make and so tasty!Â
The pasta did not turn out as creamy as I had hoped. It tasted good and was very simple though.
This is my edit: I had to let it sit for a while before the sauce set in my pasta. So it did get more creamy.