Lazy Girl Three-Ingredient Pasta (Printer View)

A simple, creamy pasta with butter and Parmesan, ready in under 20 minutes for easy meals.

# Components:

→ Pasta

01 - 7 oz dried pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine)

→ Sauce

02 - 3.5 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 2 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese

→ For Finishing

04 - Salt, to taste
05 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste (optional)

# Method:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions.
02 - Reserve about 2/3 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
03 - Return hot pasta to the pot off the heat. Add the butter and toss until melted and pasta is evenly coated.
04 - Sprinkle in Parmesan cheese and gradually add 1/4 to 1/3 cup of reserved pasta water. Toss vigorously until a creamy sauce forms, adding more water if needed to achieve desired consistency.
05 - Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, optionally topped with extra Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's genuinely faster than scrolling through delivery apps, and tastes infinitely better.
  • You probably have everything already—no exotic shopping trips required.
  • The creamy sauce is pure magic, and only three ingredients know the secret.
02 -
  • Temperature is everything—if your pot or pasta cools down, the sauce seizes and turns grainy instead of creamy. Speed matters more than perfection here.
  • The pasta water ratio is not an exact science; start with less and add more until you reach the consistency you want. Some days you'll prefer it looser, some days richer.
03 -
  • Warm your bowls before serving—even a quick rinse with hot water makes a difference in how long the pasta stays creamy.
  • If you're cooking for someone who loves extra Parmesan, have it grated and ready; people always want more than you'd guess.
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