Several years ago my husband was unwell and he was put on a special diet for a little while. This pasta dish is pretty much all he wanted to eat and on some days he ate it 3 or 4 times a day. He ended up calling it Butter Pasta which is why I’ve called it that, but it’s so much more than pasta with butter on it. Butter Pasta is still a favourite in our house whenever we need something quick, easy and super simple that doesn’t require a lot of fresh ingredients.
This is the type of dish to make when you’ve wobbled home late after a night out. It’s what I tend to make when we come back from holiday and the shops are all closed. I love this for lunch or dinner and it’s especially comforting during the colder months when hot, cozy, bowl food is what we want.
The beauty of this recipe is that it’s really a few different recipes all in one because you can use whatever flavour of stock you like. I typically use the Knorr Stock Pots when I make Butter Pasta because they melt so easily and I just prefer the flavour, but you can also use either a stock cube or even a spoonful of concentrated stock from a jar. When I’m making this recipe my favourites are beef or chicken. Chicken seems a little lighter somehow and beef a bit more rich, but to be honest they’re both good and it doesn’t have to stop there. If you’re cooking this for a vegetarian be sure to use a Veggie stock pot or cube.
It’s important to note that one of the most important ingredients in Butter Pasta is the pasta cooking water. Do not skip this step as it is what makes this sauce so creamy without using any cream. It’s also important for binding the sauce to the pasta. You will likely not use even most of the water you take out, but it’s better to have too much than too little. However as you’re using it, use it sparingly and regularly, adding a little at a time until you get the consistency and smoothness you want without drowning it.
There’s no salt included in this recipe outside of salting the pasta cooking water because the stock pot and the Parmesan cheese are offering more than enough salt. Please keep that in mind and if you do decide to use salt to do so carefully.
This recipe is just for one because this is the perfect thing to whip up quickly when you want something delicious and satisfying, but you’re on your own. I never feel let down having this bowl of pasta on an evening when I’m home alone and I love taking it straight to the couch to enjoy while I watch something great on telly. If you want to make this dish for two people simply double the pasta weight and use a little more of the pasta water and it should work just fine. Let’s get started!
Serves 1
Ingredients
- 150g penne pasta or other pasta shape of your choice
- 30g unsalted butter
- 1 stock pot or cube (any flavour, but I prefer beef or chicken)
- 30g grated Parmesan cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Fill a saucepan with salted water and add a drop of oil to it. Put it on high heat and bring to the boil before adding the pasta. Cook according to the packet instructions, checking it a minute or two before the end of the time to ensure you don’t overcook it. When the pasta is done, reserve a cup of the starchy cooking water and then strain it and set aside.
- Put the same saucepan back on the burner on medium or medium-high heat and add the butter. Melt the butter and when it starts to sizzle a bit, add the stock pot or cube. Stir to start mixing them and add a little bit of the pasta water to help it combine. Add the water a little at a time as needed until you have a glossy, smooth sauce starting to form.
- Add about 2/3 of the Parmesan cheese to the sauce along with another little slurp of the starchy pasta water. Stir to help it melt and mix together, adding a little drop of the water as needed until you have a good sauce consistency.
- Add the pasta to the pan and toss it in the sauce to coat. Add another splash or two of the pasta water which will help the sauce to stick to the penne and then when it’s all nicely coated, pour it into a pasta bowl or onto a plate.
- To serve, sprinkle the top with some cracked black pepper and a sprinkling of the remaining Parmesan cheese. Serve hot.
