This pasta is what I like to call gourmet buttered pasta. Browning the butter adds layers of flavor and depth to the dish, unlike plain buttered pasta. The garlic, parsley, pepper, and chili flakes help make this an ideal comfort food. This pasta is similar to aglio e olio, except instead of using olive oil, you use brown butter.
TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes
SERVINGS: 2
INGREDIENTS:
4 tablespoons butter
8 oz. long pasta (ex: spaghetti, linguini, etc.)
Handful of parsley
½ cup parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
1 minced garlic clove
Chili flakes (to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
RECIPE:
Boil pasta and take it out one minute before what the box instructions say . Make sure to salt the pasta water well.
While the pasta is boiling, melt your butter in a light colored sauce pan on low. Keep stirring as it melts and until it turns brown. Make sure to watch it so it doesn't burn. It will take about 3-5 minutes. When the butter starts to get a little foamy on top, add in garlic, pepper, and chili flakes. Once the butter turns brown, immediately take it off the heat so it does not burn.
Add in the pasta straight from the pot it was boiling in into the butter sauce. Reserve some pasta water. On a low flame, stir vigorously with tongs while mixing in the cheese and parsley. Slowly add a couple tablespoons of pasta water at a time to thin out the sauce. You will need about 4 tablespoons of water. Stir well and add more salt, pepper, and chili flakes to taste. Garnish with more cheese, parsley, pepper, and chili flakes.