Creamy Garlic Pasta — 4 Ingredients, Zero Excuses
EASIER THAN TAKEAWAY!
Seriously, this four-ingredient creamy garlic pasta is a weeknight lifesaver; perfect for those busy evenings when you crave flavour without the fuss.
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EASY PEASYWHY THIS ROCKS
No cream needed — the pasta water does all the work. Everything from Woolworths or Coles, nothing you'll buy once and forget about. Tastes like effort, takes zero effort
WHAT YOU NEED
Total Estimate: $8
LET'S DO THIS
Fill your biggest pot with water, salt it generously and bring to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook per packet until al dente. Before draining, scoop out 1 full cup of starchy pasta water and set aside — this is your sauce.
While pasta cooks, peel and finely mince all 6 garlic cloves. A garlic press works great here. More garlic = better. Non-negotiable.
Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-low heat. Once foaming, add garlic and cook gently for 2–3 minutes until just golden and smelling incredible. Don't burn it — burnt garlic is bitter and will ruin everything. Low and slow.
Add drained pasta straight into the garlic butter pan and toss to coat. Add half the reserved pasta water and all the parmesan. Toss hard — the starchy water and cheese will emulsify into a glossy sauce that coats every strand. Add more pasta water a splash at a time if it looks dry.
Crack a serious amount of black pepper over the top. Taste and add salt if needed. Serve immediately into bowls with extra parmesan.
PRO TIP FROM THE CHAOS GOBLINS
The pasta water is the secret weapon. It's full of starch from cooking, which makes the sauce silky instead of greasy. Same science as carbonara — just without the eggs.
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