Garlic Butter Pasta (One Pot!)

Garlic Butter Pasta on a white plate with an herb sauce on top and slices of lemon in the background.

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!

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Main Course, Pasta, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: people

Calories: 312kcal

Author: Stephanie

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

US Customary - Metric

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

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, 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.

Nutrition