Get my Cookbooks! Garlic Butter Pasta (One Pot!)
This one pot Garlic Butter Pasta recipe has the best herb-infused sauce with fresh garlic and a hint of Parmesan and lemon juice. It’s a great meatless meal or side dish recipe!
Garlic Butter Pasta
This Garlic Butter Pasta is as good as it gets! It’s a 30-minute meal that also makes a delicious side dish, and it’s all made in ONE pot!
The buttery garlic herb sauce is so flavorful and a ton of pasta options work well here. (I went for Shellbow pasta because it’s a cross between shells and elbow pasta. How fun is that?!)
It’s finished off with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh lemon juice which really makes the flavors pop! I can’t wait for you to try this, scroll down for my PRO tips!
How to Make It
Note: This is an overview. See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Heat the butter, garlic, and seasonings in a soup pot. Stir continuously until the butter starts to foam. Add the chicken broth, half and half, soy sauce, and chicken bouillon cube.
Bring to a boil and add the pasta. Bring back to a gentle boil and cook the pasta to al dente. Reduce heat to low and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice. Add 1 more tbsp. butter and let it melt. Stir it into the pasta and serve.
Pro Tips
- Pasta: I use DeLallo Shellbow Pasta for this (a cross between shells and elbows 😁), but a variety of options work well, including Cavatappi, Medium Shells, Orecchiette, Farfalle, and Rotini.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic cloves for this recipe (not jarred minced garlic), the taste is so much better.
- Parmesan: Grate the cheese from a wedge, it will melt and taste much better than packaged grated cheese. I use Belgioioso parmesan.
- Lemon Juice: If possible, use freshly squeezed lemon juice as the flavor is far superior than bottled lemon juice.
- Flavor Enhancers: The mustard powder and soy sauce are flavor enhancers that you can’t taste outright.
- Adding Chicken: For a similar recipe with some protein, try my Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta.
- Serve this Garlic Butter Pasta with my Garlic Bread With Cheese or with my No Knead Bread and Olive Oil Bread Dip!
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. This doesn’t reheat exactly back to its original consistency but the flavor is great.
- Reheating this pasta in a makeshift double boiler on the stove top is the best way to restore it to its original form.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links*)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- Spice Rack–This is the one I have, it’s a snap to measure out your seasonings quickly and easily. (Big time saver.)
- Box Cheese Grater– Always grate cheese from a block, it melts and tastes much better. Packaged grated cheese contains cellulose which prevents it from melting as well.
- Garlic Peeler & Garlic Twister– Makes it really easy to peel fresh garlic.
- Lemon Squeezer– Use fresh lemon juice over bottled if possible.
- Better Than Bouillon– This is what I always use for broth/bouillon in my recipes. It takes very little space and makes it easy to measure out customized amounts.
- Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer.
*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Try These Next
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- Manicotti
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- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
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- Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
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- Chicken and Broccoli Pasta
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- Baked Ravioli
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- Chicken Meatball Soup
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Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Garlic Butter Pasta (One Pot!)
Ingredients
Seasonings
- ¾ teaspoon EACH: dried basil, oregano, parsley, mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon EACH: dried thyme, onion powder, pepper
Sauce/Pasta
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 2 ¾ cups chicken broth
- ¾ cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ½ chicken bouillon cube
- ¾ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ lb. Shellbow pasta, see notes
Instructions
- Combine the seasonings and set aside. Measure out remaining ingredients before beginning. This recipe goes quick, so you want to be ready.
- Add 3 tbsps. of the butter to a soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and seasonings. Stir continuously until the butter starts to foam.
- Add the chicken broth, half and half, soy sauce, and bouillon cube.
- Bring to a boil and add the pasta. Bring back to a gentle boil and cook uncovered according to package instructions. Run a silicone spatula along the bottom of the pot throughout cooking to lift any pasta that may be settling to the bottom. Taste-test the pasta for doneness before proceeding.
- Reduce heat to low and gradually stir in the Parmesan cheese. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and cover the pot to let it melt. Gently stir it into the pasta and serve!
Notes
- Pasta: I use DeLallo Shellbow Pasta for this (a cross between shells and elbows 😁), but a variety of options work well, including Cavatappi, Medium Shells, Orecchiette, Farfalle, Rotini.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic cloves for this recipe (not jarred minced garlic), the taste is so much better.
- Parmesan: Grate the cheese from a wedge, it will melt and taste much better than packaged grated cheese. I use Belgioioso parmesan.
- Lemon Juice: If possible, use freshly squeezed lemon juice as the flavor is far superior than bottled lemon juice.
- Flavor Enhancers: The mustard powder and soy sauce are flavor enhancers that you can't taste outright.
- Adding Chicken: For a similar recipe with some protein, try my Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta.
- Serve this Garlic Butter Pasta with my Garlic Bread With Cheese or with my No Knead Bread and Olive Oil Bread Dip!
Storage:
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. This doesn't reheat exactly back to its original consistency but the flavor is great.
- Reheating this pasta in a makeshift double boiler on the stove top is the best way to restore it to its original form.
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 6 servings in this recipe.
Thanks again for a great flavor bomb, easy to execute recipe! We loved it! We had some grilled chicken, broccoli & sundried tomatoes so threw them in too! Appreciate you!
Hiiii Linda! WOW I LOVE your additions to this! I can taste it from here! I’m so glad that you loved it- thank you so so much for another great review Linda! You are the BEST and I appreciate YOU! ❤️❤️❤️
Made this with your port tenderloin recipe. It goes together very well! I like that it is a light but very tasty sauce. Thank you for a great recipe! Great flavor profile!
Hey Lori!! I’m SO glad that you paired the Pork Tenderloin with this recipe! What a perfect pairing. I am so glad that you wasted no time trying this one 🙂 THANK YOU so much!!