Look, I'm going to put it out there, this garlic butter pasta might be one of the most delicious things I have made. The sauce literally has only a few basic ingredients and packs such a punch. Confit garlic is blended into butter then heated with black pepper and starchy pasta water. It's a glossy pasta sauce that really is the ultimate comfort food. Once you have confit the garlic it comes together in minutes.
Hi! There are some recipes I write that just make me want to BURST as I cannot wait for people to make it. This is one of them. A butter sauce is my trademark, my butter sauces are my most popular recipes! If you know me at all you also know cacio e pepe is my death row dish. This has that same pepper hit but with dreamy confit garlic. It's a really easy recipe the whole family will love.
Confit garlic is SO simple. You just peel the cloves and bake in olive oil until golden and sweet. You cannot beat the flavor and I cook more than I need so I have some on hand for the next time. For a richer creamy sauce try my very popular Creamy Roast Garlic and Lemon Pasta.
I have also made a new version with chargrilled corn, balsamic and chives. The instructions are in the notes section of recipe card below.
For some more of my amazing butter recipes, try:
Jump to:
What is confit garlic?
It sounds fancy but it is so simple! Confit means slow cooking something in fat. It is a French technique and actually translates to 'preserved'. In this case the garlic cloves are peeled and cooked in olive oil and rosemary. This is the part of the recipe that takes time as the garlic needs to cook for 45 minutes - 1 hour. It's worth the time, I promise!
This simple garlic butter sauce is such an easy pasta recipe to have up your sleeve when you have a garlic craving.
Ingredients
Garlic - I cook two whole garlic bulbs. You only need one for the recipe but you may as well make more while you are at it for a quick dinner next time. There WILL be a next time! You'll never want to use minced garlic again!
Fresh herbs - I put some sprigs of rosemary to infuse the oil.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - The garlic is cooked in olive oil, any kind will do.
Room Temperature Butter - I often suggest using unsalted butter but there are so little ingredients in this sauce, I opt for salted. If you use unsalted make sure you add some big pinches of salt. It should work with vegan butter so let me know if you try it.
Black pepper - I love pepper, it's no secret. I use a whole teaspoon so use less (or more!) if you like.
Pasta Cooking Water - This is a really key ingredient. Never drain your pasta without reserving some starchy cooking water. It turns the butter into a sauce and helps to thicken.
How to make garlic butter pasta
The full ingredient list, method and tutorial video are in the recipe card below.
How to make confit garlic butter
ONE: Place the garlic cloves and rosemary into a baking dish and cover with olive oil.
TWO: Bake in the oven for 45 mins - 1 hour until golden.
THREE: Once cooled, blend with the room temp butter until well combined.
FOUR: If you don't have a mini food processor, use a stick blender or mix really well by hand. Mashing the cloves with a fork beforehand.
FIVE: The butter will be too soft to use straight away so wrap up in some plastic wrap and refrigerate until hardened.
SIX: The finished garlic butter, ready to use.
Finishing the sauce
Cook your pasta in a large pot of water (very well salted!), according to package instructions and when it only has a few minutes to go, start the sauce. I quite like undercooking my pasta by a minute so it can bubble in the sauce and still be al dente.
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this link to you, so you can come back to it later!
ONE: Melt the garlic butter in a large skillet over medium heat. You don't want it too hot or the garlic will burn.
TWO: Add the black pepper and mix well.
THREE: Add half a cup of the pasta water and mix really well.
FOUR: It should be a slightly thickened well emulsified and silky sauce.
FIVE: On a medium-low heat, add the cooked pasta straight in and give it a really good toss.
SIX: Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese, some fresh rosemary leaves (or fresh parsley) and extra black pepper if you wish. Other optional toppings could be some red pepper flakes and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Expert tips
- Weigh your pasta portions! This is always one of my biggest tips. It ensures the perfect pasta to sauce ratio and literally takes less than a minute. I suggest 100 grams dried per person or 150 grams fresh per person.
- Use a large skillet that the pasta will fit into at the end.
- Reserve some starchy pasta water. I tend to transfer the cooked pasta straight into the sauce with a spider strainer so the water is left in the pot to use as I need.
HOT TIP! The garlic butter on it's own is SO amazing. The best part about this easy recipe is you could make a double batch of the confit garlic. Keep the other half in the fridge to spread on bread, serve with potatoes, meat - anything! If you serve it with bread then bring it out of the fridge to get it to room temperature first.
A chargrilled corn twist
I have recently made a new version with the same exact garlic butter base but with the addition of chargrilled corn. This truly is a delightful summer pasta dish! I finish it with some blobs of thick balsamic and chopped fresh chives.
See the recipe card below for instructions!
How to make a really well emulsified butter sauce
Firstly, emulsified sounds a bit chef-y doesn't it? It's really very easy and is one of the most simple sauces. It just means two or more liquids being mixed together. I love that you can take melted butter, mix something into it and it becomes a sauce. Main tips:
- Use a large skillet or fry pan.
- Let the butter melt gently then when it is starting to sizzle add the liquid (in this case pasta water).
- For best results, I highly recommend getting a flat whisk, it is my most used kitchen tool. The key is agitation. I shake the pan with my left hand and whisk with my right.
- Whisk and whisk over and over until the liquids blend into each other and a thickened butter sauce emerges.
- Don't be afraid to agitate it fiercely, make sure you check out the video in recipe card.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! I always do extra, sometimes 2 or 3 bulbs so that I have it on hand to use another time. Store in the oil in a jar for up to two weeks.
Absolutely, it has an amazing garlic flavor! Use it for salad dressings, to marinade meat or however else you would normally use a flavored olive oil.
I think a simple leafy salad is the perfect side dish for pasta. I also love doing some roasted broccolini or green beans with lemon juice and parmesan cheese.
I really don't love storing a butter based sauce, it just doesn't reheat well. You can store for 2 - 3 days in an airtight container if you must!
Want some other dishes to try?
If you loved this garlic butter pasta I think we are very similar people so here are some other dishes I love that you have to try. Check out my recipe section for the whole selection! My Caramelized Onion Cacio e Pepe is seriously amazing as is my Easy White Wine and Butter Pasta. If you use this as a butter for bread then also check out my Whipped Brown Butter, it's a great recipe for entertaining.
butter pasta
Recipe
Insanely Delicious Garlic Butter Pasta Recipe
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this link to you, so you can come back to it later!
Ingredients
- 1 x whole bulb of garlic cloves peeled, see notes below
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 - 3 sprigs fresh rosemary plus extra for serving optional
- 100 grams butter room temperature
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 200 grams dried pasta or 300 grams fresh
- Parmesan to serve
Instructions
To confit the garlic
- Place the peeled cloves and rosemary sprigs if using in a baking dish (I used a loaf pan) Just something small enough that they aren't too spread out.
- Pour over the oil, it should mostly cover the cloves so top it up if you need.
- Bake in the oven at 160c (320F) for 45 mins until golden but still soft.
Make the garlic butter
- Drain any excess oil off the cloves (keep the oil to use for other things, it will taste garlicky and delicious!)
- Blend with the butter. I like to use a mini food processor for this to make sure it is really well blitzed. You could also do it with a stick blender or by hand, just make sure you mash up the garlic really well before mixing.
- Plop (isn't that a great word?!) onto some plastic wrap or parchment paper and wrap up to put back in fridge to harden before using.
Making the sauce
- Boil your pasta in a pot of well salted water. When it only has a few minutes left to cook, start the sauce. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.
- Have a large skillet on a medium heat and add the butter giving it a good mix around the pan as it melts. You don't want the heat too high here or the garlic will burn so turn down if you need.
- When melted add the pepper and mix.
- Add ½ cup pasta water and mix together really vigorously. I like to use a flat whisk and use my left hand to shake the pan and my right hand to whisk. It needs a lot of agitation so don't be scared to really go for it.
- Add your cooked pasta straight in, toss really well and let it gently bubble away for 30 seconds or so. Add more pasta water if you need to loosen.
- Serve with freshly grated parmesan and some fresh rosemary leaves.
Jessica says
This was really delicious! I was wondering, would I be able to confit the garlic if I used already minced garlic that you buy from grocery stores?
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Jessica, no you need to confit whole cloves sorry so that wouldn't work 🙂
Kimberly says
Can I use the garlic you find in grocery stores that's already peeled or do you suggest buying it still in bulb form. Is one considered fresher?
Emilie Pullar says
Hi! You definitely can do that 🙂
Kellie B says
This recipe is SOOOO GOOD. It tasted just as lush and creamy as it looked in Emilie’s photos. Feels like a beautifully elevated cacio e pepe!
I did leave the garlic cloves confit-ing in the oven for probably a couple of minutes too long, and all it did was make them a tad crispy, but it meant I had to grind them up with a little more oomph. I also could have let the butter cool down in the fridge for a bit longer and was nervous that I was browning it a bit too much when it hit the pan, but the pasta water and agitating the pan still resulted in such a beautifully creamy sauce. Can’t wait to make it again!!
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Kellie! So glad you loved it! I think I need to add a note about the time it takes to re-harden in the fridge so thanks for that! 🙂
Shannon says
This was absolutely delicious!
Emilie Pullar says
Yay thanks so much for making!
Matt says
Really is as the description says. Insanely delicious.
I made a double batch of garlic butter and used 3 bulbs of garlic. Because it’s garlic and garlic is lush.
One tip. Don’t dip your finger in the butter before putting in the fridge. Because you’ll want to put the whole thing in your mouth. It’s so good.
I really need to go back and leave reviews on other recipes as I’ve made a lot from your site now. We’ve always cooked Italian food and made pasta but you’ve definitely elevated things since finding your site.
Emilie Pullar says
hahaha I love this so much!! So glad you enjoyed. I think it's key to make a double batch of the butter so you can make the sauce AND have a spread for bread!