Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Pasta Base
- 4000 ml water
- 20 g fine sea salt
- 340 g spaghettini, dry
Sauce and Finish
- 115 g unsalted butter, chilled or room temperature
- 6 garlic, peeled and finely minced
- 20 g fresh flat-leaf parsley, washed, stemmed, and finely chopped
- 60 g parmesan cheese, finely grated
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 592 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbohydrates
- 67 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 307 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 17 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 72 mg
- Potassium
- 266 mg
- Calcium
- 223 mg
- Iron
- 1.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 57 mg
- Phosphorus
- 285 mg
- Zinc
- 1.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 249 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 9 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 84 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.10 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.12 mg
- Niacin
- 1.6 mg
- Folate
- 25 mcg
- Water
- 86 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Pour 4000 ml of water into a large stockpot and bring to a rolling boil over high heat at 100°C (212°F).
Add 20 g of fine sea salt to the boiling water.
Peel and finely mince the 6 cloves of garlic on a cutting board with a chef's knife.
Finely chop 20 g of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves on the cutting board.
Grate 60 g of parmesan cheese using a microplane grater.
Add 340 g of dry spaghettini to the boiling salted water and cook for 5 minutes until 1 minute shy of al dente.
Scoop 240 ml of hot starchy cooking water from the stockpot using a heatproof measuring cup and set it aside.
Pour the cooked spaghettini into a colander to drain thoroughly without rinsing.
Melt 115 g of unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat at 85°C (185°F).
Add the minced garlic to the melted butter and gently sauté over low heat at 100°C (212°F) for 90 seconds until fragrant and soft.
Pour 120 ml of the reserved hot pasta water into the skillet and swirl vigorously over medium heat to form a cohesive, cloudy emulsion.
Transfer the drained spaghettini into the simmering garlic butter emulsion in the skillet.
Toss the spaghettini continuously with kitchen tongs over medium-low heat for 60 seconds until the sauce reduces into a glossy glaze that coats every strand.
Remove the skillet completely from heat and sprinkle in the 60 g of grated parmesan cheese, tossing rapidly until melted and velvety.
Add the 20 g of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley to the pasta and fold it in using tongs.
Twirl the spaghettini into 4 warm serving bowls and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Pasta water is essential: the dissolved amylose and amylopectin starches act as natural binders, turning melted butter and water into a cohesive, velvety glaze without requiring heavy cream.
- Grating technique matters: use a microplane to shred the parmesan cheese into fine, airy flakes so it melts instantly on residual heat without clumping into chewy strings.
- Spaghettini cooks quickly: because it is thinner than standard spaghetti, pull it from the boiling water 1 full minute before the package al dente time so it absorbs the butter sauce without turning mushy.
- Gentle heat preserves aromatic sweetness: garlic should sweat slowly in warm butter until tender and sweet rather than frying or taking on color.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Cool promptly and store in an airtight container at 4°C (40°F) or lower within 2 hours of preparation.
Reheating: Reheat leftovers in a skillet over medium-low heat with 15 to 30 ml of water, stirring constantly until the internal temperature reaches at least 74°C (165°F).
Troubleshooting
Sauce looks oily, greasy, and broken instead of creamy
Cause: The pan was too hot when the parmesan cheese was added, or there was not enough starchy pasta water to maintain the fat-water emulsion
Fix: Vigorously whisk in 30 to 45 ml of hot starchy pasta water off the heat until the sauce comes back together
Prevention: Remove skillet from direct heat before adding cheese, and ensure adequate pasta cooking water is incorporated
Garlic tastes unpleasantly bitter and harsh
Cause: The garlic cooked at too high a temperature and browned or scorched
Fix: Cannot be fixed. Burnt garlic compounds permanently taint the sauce and the butter base must be remade
Prevention: Maintain low heat and gently sweat the garlic only until translucent and aromatic
Cultural Context
This recipe is an aromatic evolution of the classic Italian pasta in bianco (white pasta) and shares ancestry with Roman staples like burro e parmigiano and pasta all'aglio e olio. Rooted in the traditional cucina povera philosophy, it demonstrates how a handful of basic pantry ingredients can yield restaurant-caliber depth through mastery of emulsion. Today, it stands as an enduring Italian comfort food favorite that highlights culinary technique over elaborate components.
