Ingredients

• 200g – 7oz Maccheroni
• 3 tbsp – 45g salted butter (divided)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• ½ tsp dried chilli flakes (adjust to taste)
• ¼ cup – 60ml reserved pasta water (plus extra if needed)
• ¾ cup – 30g freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Salt for water
• Freshly cracked black pepper (lot's!)
• Optional a few parsley leaves

Steps

• Step 1

  Cook pasta in well-salted boiling water until just less than al dente. Reserve about 1 cup – 240ml of the cooking water if draining.

• Step 2

  Meanwhile, in a large frying pan over medium heat, heat olive oil and 1 tbsp of the butter.

• Step 3

  Turn to low-medium heat, add the sliced garlic and cook gently until lightly golden, not brown. Stir in chilli flakes and a small splash of pasta water to prevent burning.

• Step 4

• Step 5

  Transfer the drained almost al-dente pasta straight into the frying pan with the garlic and chilli. Add a small ladle (about ¼ cup – 60ml) of the hot pasta water and another 1 tbsp of butter.

• Step 6

  Toss continuously on medium heat. The starch from the pasta and butter will emulsify, forming a glossy, creamy coating. Add another 1 tbsp of butter and a little more pasta water, a splash at a time until silky.

• Step 7

  Once the sauce looks smooth and shiny, remove from heat. Add Parmigiano and a twist of black pepper. Toss off the heat until melted and creamy. (Don’t reheat now, or it’ll split.)

• Step 8

  Taste and adjust with salt, extra chilli or more cheese if needed. If the pasta water was well seasoned, you shouldn’t need salt.

• Step 9

  Serve immediately while it’s glossy and hot for pure butter-driven comfort.

Little Tips

Butter choice matters, use high-fat French-style butter (82–85% fat), it emulsifies better.