Creamy Garlic Butter Ditalini (Printable)

Tender ditalini tossed in a smooth garlic butter sauce with cream and Parmesan for a quick meal.

# What You’ll Use:

→ 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:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add ditalini and cook according to package instructions until al dente, about 8 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water, then drain.
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 - Reduce heat to low. Stir in heavy cream and reserved pasta water, bringing the mixture to a gentle simmer.
04 - Add the drained ditalini to the skillet and toss to coat evenly.
05 - Sprinkle in Parmesan cheese, black pepper, and salt. Stir until the sauce is smooth and creamy, fully coating the pasta. Add more pasta water if sauce is too thick.
06 - Remove from heat. Stir in parsley and lemon zest, if using. Adjust seasoning to taste.
07 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan and parsley as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It actually tastes like you spent an hour cooking when you spent mere minutes at the stove.
  • The tiny ditalini catch the silky sauce in every bite, so no sad dry pasta moments.
  • Four ingredients for the sauce means fewer things to second-guess yourself about.
02 -
  • Overcooked pasta can't be saved, so pull it out a shade early—it will thank you for trusting it.
  • If your sauce looks thin after adding the pasta, that's the starch from the pasta water doing its job; it thickens as it cools slightly.
  • Grated Parmesan from a block melts into the sauce; shredded from a bag with anticaking agents won't cooperate and will stay grainy.
03 -
  • Grate the Parmesan fresh just before you need it; pre-grated loses its soul and tends to separate in sauce.
  • The pasta water is the secret ingredient nobody talks about—it has starch that thickens the sauce naturally without making it heavy.
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