Butter, Parmesan & Pea Pasta (15 Minutes, No Chopping)
Pantry pasta that's on the table in 15 minutes — no chopping, no thinking.
This is the pasta you make when dinner needs to happen right now and your brain has nothing left. Butter, Parmesan, and frozen peas turn a box of spaghetti into something genuinely satisfying — creamy from the starchy pasta water, savory from the cheese, and just bright enough from the peas. It's not trying to be fancy. It's trying to feed you without stress. Expect a glossy, rich sauce that coats every strand, a little sweetness from the peas, and zero dishes beyond the pot and a bowl. Best eaten immediately while it's silky and hot.
Ingredients
- 8 oz spaghetti or linguine — or any long pasta you have
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter — cut into pieces
- 1 cup frozen peas — no need to thaw
- 2 oz Parmesan cheese — finely grated; about 1 packed cup — use a microplane or the fine side of a box grater
- 1 pinch kosher salt — plus more for the pasta water
- 1 pinch black pepper — freshly cracked is best
Method
- 1 Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Salt it generously — it should taste like mild seawater.
- 2 Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente (usually 8–10 minutes). Before draining, scoop out about 1 cup of starchy pasta water and set it aside.
- 3 In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the frozen peas directly to the pasta pot so they heat through.
- 4 Drain the pasta and peas, then return them to the pot off the heat.
- 5 Add the butter pieces and toss until melted and coating the pasta.
- 6 Add the grated Parmesan in two additions, tossing vigorously between each. Splash in pasta water a few tablespoons at a time, tossing as you go, until the sauce is glossy and clings to the noodles — you may use anywhere from 2 tablespoons to half a cup.
- 7 Season with salt and plenty of black pepper. Taste and adjust.
- 8 Divide between bowls and serve immediately, with extra Parmesan on the side if you like.
Variations
- Vegan swap — Use 3 tbsp olive oil instead of butter and a good vegan Parmesan alternative (or 2 tbsp nutritional yeast for a nuttier, less exact stand-in). The sauce will be slightly thinner but still tasty.
- Faster version — Use fresh pasta or thin angel hair — it cooks in 2–3 minutes and cuts total time to under 10 minutes.
- Lemon lift — Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a little zest right at the end for brightness — especially nice if your Parmesan is on the saltier side.
Notes
The sauce comes together from the starchy pasta water emulsifying with the butter and cheese — it sounds fancy but it's just physics. Toss fast and add water gradually. If the sauce seizes up and looks clumpy, a splash more hot water and aggressive tossing will fix it. For the best texture, grate the Parmesan as finely as possible so it melts rather than clumps.
Equipment that helps
- Microplane or fine grater — Finely grated Parmesan melts into a smooth sauce instead of clumping in stringy bits.
- Large pot — Plenty of water prevents the pasta from sticking and gives you enough starchy water to build the sauce.
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