Garlic Butter Linguine Dish (Print Version)

Linguine coated in garlic butter sauce with fresh parsley and a hint of lemon zest, ready in 20 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz linguine

→ Sauce

02 - 6 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 6 large garlic cloves, finely minced
04 - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
05 - Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
06 - 1/2 tsp sea salt
07 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Finishing

08 - 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
09 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
10 - Extra lemon wedges, to serve

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add linguine and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain pasta.
02 - While pasta cooks, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1–2 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Stir in red pepper flakes and lemon zest, if using.
03 - Add drained linguine to the skillet. Toss to coat in the garlic butter. Gradually add reserved pasta water to achieve a silky sauce consistency.
04 - Season with salt and black pepper. Stir in chopped parsley and half the Parmesan cheese if using. Toss well.
05 - Serve immediately, garnished with remaining Parmesan and extra lemon wedges on the side.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you can set the table, yet tastes like you actually tried.
  • One skillet means one thing to wash, which is honestly the dream after a long day.
  • The garlic butter is so good you'll find yourself scraping the last drops onto bread you didn't even plan to eat.
02 -
  • Don't brown the garlic—I learned this the hard way with a burned, bitter batch that taught me respect for medium heat.
  • That pasta water isn't an afterthought; it's the magic ingredient that turns scattered butter into a proper sauce that clings to every strand.
  • Serve this dish the moment it's done because butter sauces break and separate when they sit, and you lose all that silky elegance you worked for.
03 -
  • Use a microplane grater for the lemon zest so you get only the bright yellow oils and none of the bitter white pith underneath.
  • If you have good olive oil on hand, finish each bowl with a tiny drizzle—it adds richness and a peppery note that butter alone can't quite give you.
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