Creamy Dinner Pasta Dish (Printable version)
Tender pasta in a smooth cream sauce with garlic and Parmesan for comforting flavors.
# What you need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 ounces penne or fettuccine
→ Sauce
02 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
06 - 1 cup heavy cream
07 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
08 - ¼ cup vegetable broth or reserved pasta water
09 - ½ teaspoon salt
10 - ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11 - ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
→ Garnish
12 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
13 - Extra grated Parmesan (optional)
# How To:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water, then drain.
02 - Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add finely chopped onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until soft and translucent.
03 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Pour in heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to low and stir in grated Parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg if using. Add vegetable broth or reserved pasta water to thin the sauce if necessary.
05 - Add drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat evenly. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to meld flavors. Adjust seasoning as desired.
06 - Plate immediately and garnish with chopped fresh parsley and extra Parmesan if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It's ready in thirty minutes flat, which means weeknight dinners stop feeling like a chore.
- There's a trick here with the pasta water that keeps the sauce silky instead of breaking, and once you know it, you'll use it forever.
- The nutmeg is barely there, but it makes people stop mid-bite and ask what that subtle something is in the sauce.
02 -
- Never dump the pasta into the sauce; always reserve that cooking water first because you're going to need it to keep the sauce from breaking into separated grease and liquid.
- The sauce will look thicker than you think it should when you plate it, but it will loosen slightly as it sits, so trust the process and don't keep adding water.
03 -
- Brown butter before adding the oil if you want the sauce to taste even more deeply savory and toasted.
- A whole nutmeg pod grated fresh over the finished dish tastes incomparably better than ground, though either one works.