Suggestions
🖨️

Pasta Al Burro

Chop Rating
chopchopchopchopchop
Sign in to review
Not yet rated
pastas•italian•vegetarian, contains dairy
20 minutes•4 servings•

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
  • 12 ounces spaghetti
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter – cut into pieces
  • 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano – finely grated
Pasta al Burro

Instructions

  1. 1.

    Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Stir in the kosher salt.

  2. 2.

    Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, 8–10 minutes or 1 minute less than the package time. Reserve 3/4 cup pasta cooking water, then drain well.

  3. 3.

    Return the empty pot to low heat. Add the unsalted butter and 1/4 cup reserved pasta water; swirl until the butter is melted and slightly creamy, 30–60 seconds.

  4. 4.

    Take the pot off the heat, add the drained pasta, and toss to coat. Sprinkle in the Parmigiano Reggiano in 2–3 additions, tossing vigorously and adding splashes of reserved water as needed until the sauce is glossy, creamy, and clings to the pasta, 1–2 minutes.

  5. 5.

    Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve immediately.

Pasta al Burro is the essence of Italian comfort: warm strands of pasta coated in a silky emulsion of butter and Parmigiano Reggiano. The flavor is rich yet gentle, with the nutty, savory cheese amplifying the sweetness of good butter. The texture should be glossy and creamy, never greasy, with each strand lightly sheathed rather than swimming in sauce.

This dish belongs to the family of pasta in bianco—stripped-down preparations beloved across Italy for their simplicity and digestibility. It’s often one of the first pastas Italian children taste and a go-to for late-night suppers or moments when only something soothing will do. While cousins like cacio e pepe or burro e alici add bolder seasonings, pasta al burro endures precisely because it keeps the spotlight on butter, pasta, and cheese.