Creamy Garlic Butter Ditalini (Printable Version)

Silky garlic butter sauce envelops tender ditalini with cream and Parmesan in under 15 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10.5 oz ditalini pasta
02 - 8 cups water
03 - 1 tablespoon salt

→ Sauce

04 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
05 - 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
06 - ½ cup heavy cream
07 - ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
08 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
09 - ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
10 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)
11 - Zest of ½ lemon (optional)

# How To Make:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add ditalini and cook until al dente, approximately 8 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup pasta water, then drain pasta.
02 - Melt unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant without browning.
03 - Reduce heat to low. Stir in heavy cream and reserved pasta water, bringing the mixture to a gentle simmer.
04 - Add cooked ditalini into the skillet. Toss thoroughly to ensure even coating with the sauce.
05 - Sprinkle in Parmesan, black pepper, and salt. Stir until sauce turns smooth and creamy, fully coating the pasta. If sauce thickens excessively, add additional pasta water as needed.
06 - Remove skillet from heat. Stir in chopped parsley and lemon zest if using. Adjust seasoning to taste.
07 - Plate immediately, garnishing with extra Parmesan cheese and parsley as desired.

# Cooking Tips:

01 -
  • Dinner appears on the table in 15 minutes, which means weeknight stress actually goes down instead of up.
  • The sauce clings to every tiny pasta piece, so you're never stuck with naked noodles or a puddle of cream at the bottom.
  • It tastes like you've been stirring a pot thoughtfully for hours when really you've barely paid attention.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving that pasta water—it's the difference between a sauce that clings and one that slides right off.
  • Keep the heat gentle once the cream goes in; aggressive heat can break the sauce into something grainy and sad.
03 -
  • Warm your serving bowls for just 30 seconds under hot water before plating—it keeps the pasta hot longer and feels like you've done something professional.
  • Grate the Parmesan directly over the skillet before mixing; it melts faster and more evenly than stirring in pre-grated cheese.
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