Roasted Garlic Pasta
Inspired by the classic Roman pasta dish, Cacio e Pepe, this roasted garlic pasta needs only 15 minutes and five ingredients to go from pan to plate.
A few weeks ago, I discovered a recipe for Cacio a Pepe by Marc Bittman, a simple, basic pasta dish made only with pasta, butter, cheese, and black pepper. The key to the dish is to combine everything with a healthy splash of starchy pasta water and toss, toss, toss until the liquid emulsifies with the butter and cheese, creating a creamy sauce.
Intrigued, I used his recipe as a blueprint to create a warm and cheesy roasted garlic pasta – a dish that comes together so quickly you’ll be cozied up with a big bowl in just 15 minutes flat. Remember the roasted garlic I made? This pasta is the reason to always have some on hand – trust me; it’s the right thing to do.
How to Make It
You only need five ingredients to make this roasted garlic pasta: spaghetti or other long pasta, butter, roasted garlic, Asiago cheese, and a generous sprinkle of ground pepper. The recipe goes quickly, so be sure to read through all the steps before you get started – there’s a bit of an art to getting it right. And when you do, you’ll love it.
More Easy Pasta Ideas
Truffle Mushroom Pasta | Pasta Aglio e Olio | Mediterranean Pasta | Steak Carbonara
PrintRoasted Garlic Pasta
Inspired by the classic Roman dish Cacio e Pepe this roasted garlic pasta needs only 15 minutes and five ingredients to go from pan to plate.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 generous tablespoon roasted garlic
- Up to 1/3 cup grated Asiago cheese
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a pan over low heat. Add the roasted garlic and stir it around while mashing it in the butter. Once the garlic is incorporated, turn off the heat.
- Transfer the pasta from the boiling water to the pan with the butter using tongs. Reserve 1/2 cup or so of the cooking water.
- Toss the pasta in the butter and garlic. Add the starchy pasta water and the cheese a little bit at a time and continue tossing the pasta with tongs until the cheese has melted and the pasta is coated in a creamy sauce. if needed, turn the burner on low to help things along with more heat.
- Garnish with ground black pepper to taste.
Notes
This pasta dish is more of an art than a science. You may need more cheese and starchy pasta water to achieve the best results, so have some extra on hand.
I don’t recommend draining the pasta. Instead, use tongs to transfer it from the pot to the pan. Some of the starchy water will go along with it, which you will need. Also be sure to reserve at least a 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
I find adding the cheese in batches reduces the risk of cheesy lumps and is your best bet for a smooth and creamy sauce. Also, I recommend doing all the stirring and sauce making in the same pan used to melt the butter. The residual heat from the pan will keep it all warm so the cheese melts faster. You may not need all the cheese, so if you have some left, use it to garnish the pasta.
Recipe inspired by Mark Bittman
Nutrition
- Calories: 399
- Sugar: 1.7g
- Sodium: 344.5mg
- Fat: 17.9g
- Carbohydrates: 43.9g
- Fiber: 1.9g
- Protein: 15.3g
The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.
Side Dish Ideas
Add a simple green salad or a cooked veggie on the side. Garlic butter broccoli or sauteed lemon green beans would be delicious.
I also love it with some toasted garlic bread on the side for an extra treat 🖤
5 ingredients and 15 minutes – do you need more convincing? I hope you give it a try soon!
Happy cooking,
Cacio e pepe is on of my absolute favorite dishes. Along with bucatini all’amatriciana. Next time I make a bowl of cacio e pepe, i’ll toss in a handful of roasted garlic!
Yes! You have to try it 🙂
Trying this tonight, but without the cheese, and my fiancé is allergic. The smell of the roasted garlic is making my house smell like a trattoria!
Simple, light, and amazing! So tasty, youd think there was 20 ingredients and it took 2 hours. Definitely will be my go to from now on! Also, the 2nd time I made it I couldnt find plain asiago cheese, so I used a parmesean, Romano, and asiago mix. SO good. May even be better than just asiago. Nom nom!! Thank you SO much. You are awesome 🙂
Oh, that’s great! I love the combo of cheeses you used!
I am a pasta lover and not a chef or lover of cooking. Had roasted garlic just bc and was looking for a recipe to use it – this looked amazing and super simple! Was fabulous and as easy as it looked. I added diced tomatoes and basil on top cause I needed some freshness too! Thank you for sharing!