Creamy Garlic Pasta Parsley (Printable)

Velvety garlic cream sauce with fresh parsley and Parmesan enhances pasta for a rich, comforting meal.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz fettuccine or spaghetti

→ Sauce

02 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
04 - 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
05 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
07 - 1/4 tsp salt, plus additional to taste
08 - Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Garnish

09 - 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
10 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese for serving

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water and drain the pasta.
02 - Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant without browning.
03 - Pour in heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
04 - Add grated Parmesan, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if desired. Stir until cheese melts and sauce is smooth.
05 - Add drained pasta to the skillet and toss to evenly coat with sauce. Adjust thickness by adding reserved pasta water gradually if needed.
06 - Remove from heat and stir in most of the chopped parsley, reserving some for garnish.
07 - Plate immediately, topped with extra parsley and additional grated Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in 30 minutes but tastes like you spent hours at the stove.
  • The sauce is so velvety and rich that even skeptical dinner guests ask for seconds.
  • It's foolproof—there's almost no way to mess this up, which means more time enjoying company and less time worrying.
02 -
  • Never let the garlic brown—once it starts turning golden, that window closes fast and burnt garlic tastes acrid and ruins the whole sauce, so stay close and watch it.
  • Reserve your pasta water before draining because that starchy liquid is like magic for loosening the sauce and helping it cling to each strand.
  • Taste everything as you go—the sauce's final salt level depends on your cream and cheese, so trust your palate over the measurements.
03 -
  • Use room temperature garlic and cream straight from the fridge—it prevents shocking the ingredients and breaking the emulsion.
  • A wooden spoon is your friend here because it's gentler on the sauce and gives you better control than anything else.

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