Lazy Girl Three-Ingredient Pasta (Printable)

A creamy pasta dish with butter, Parmesan, and reserved pasta water for a smooth, flavorful finish.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

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

→ Sauce

02 - 3.5 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 0.5 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

→ For Finishing

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

# How-To:

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

# Insider Tips:

01 -
  • It's genuinely ready in under 20 minutes, no rushing, no stress.
  • Three ingredients means you probably have everything already and can stop apologizing to yourself for not meal planning.
  • The creamy sauce tastes like you've been simmering it for hours when really it's just kitchen chemistry at work.
02 -
  • The pasta water is not optional—it's the emulsifier that makes this work, binding fat and cheese into something creamy instead of greasy.
  • Never use pre-grated Parmesan because those coatings prevent melting and you'll end up with grainy, separated sauce instead of silk.
03 -
  • Never add cold butter or cheese straight from the fridge—they need to be at least room temperature to emulsify properly with the warm pasta.
  • The vigorous tossing is what makes the difference between a creamy sauce and one that separates, so don't be gentle about it.
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