Creamy Garlic Butter Ditalini (Printable View)

Tender ditalini tossed in a creamy garlic butter sauce with Parmesan and a hint of lemon zest.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10.5 oz ditalini pasta
02 - 8 cups water
03 - 1 tablespoon salt

→ Sauce

04 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
05 - 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
06 - ½ cup heavy cream
07 - ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
08 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
09 - ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
10 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)
11 - Zest of ½ lemon (optional)

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add ditalini and cook until al dente, approximately 8 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup pasta water, then drain.
02 - Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant without browning.
03 - Reduce heat to low. Stir in heavy cream and reserved pasta water, allowing the mixture to gently simmer.
04 - Add cooked ditalini to the skillet and toss to evenly coat with the sauce.
05 - Sprinkle in Parmesan, black pepper, and salt. Stir until sauce is smooth and pasta is fully coated. Add additional pasta water if sauce thickens too much.
06 - Remove from heat. Stir in parsley and lemon zest if desired. Adjust seasoning to taste.
07 - Serve immediately with extra Parmesan and parsley garnishes as preferred.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours when you actually spent minutes.
  • There's nothing fussy about it, yet somehow it feels elegant enough to serve guests.
  • The sauce clings to every tiny pasta shape in a way that feels almost luxurious.
02 -
  • Reserve that pasta water before you drain—I learned this the hard way when I made a thick, gluey mess that no amount of cream could fix.
  • Don't brown the garlic; even a few seconds too long and it turns bitter, ruining the whole delicate balance of the sauce.
  • The sauce will thicken as it sits, so if it seems a little loose when you're plating, that's actually perfect.
03 -
  • If you find yourself with leftovers, store them in an airtight container and reheat gently with a splash of milk or cream to restore the sauce's silky texture.
  • For extra richness, stir in a spoonful of mascarpone or crème fraîche at the very end, right before serving.
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