If you’re looking for a fuss-free weeknight meal, look no further. Spaghetti tossed into a fragrant butter and wine sauce with lots of grated cheese.
• Com·fort food – food that provides consolation or a feeling of well-being, typically any with a high sugar or other carbohydrate content and associated with childhood or home cooking.
Growing up in a traditional Italian home, mac n’ cheese looked very different for me. Once in a while, my mother would treat me to a simple macaroni dinner that, to this day, has remained one of my favorites.
Spaghetti was the pasta of choice and my mother would simply toss it with butter, salt and pepper to taste, and lots of grated cheese.
I had a craving for this the other night, but I decided to give it a bit of a grown-up makeover with a splash of white wine, a squeeze of fresh lemon, and a sprig of fresh rosemary from the garden. I finished it with a generous pinch of red pepper flakes balanced by gratings of fresh, sweet nutmeg.
Don’t forget to top with lots of grated Parmesan when done, plus more for serving.
Who said comfort food had to be an arduous task? This meal comes together in 20 minutes and is perfect for either Sunday night dinner or a lazy weeknight.
It mimics that kind of carbonara-like consistency of subtle creaminess, with its buttery sauce, but oozes the freshness of the season. It leaves you feeling satisfied and not uncomfortably so like most comfort foods.
I think mom would be proud of this one and I wish I could share a plate with her, but it brings me great pleasure to be able to share it with you. Enjoy!
Rosemary Butter Pasta
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 1 large sprig of fresh Rosemary
- 4 tbs. butter
- ½ lemon – sliced very thin with skin
- 3 tbs. olive oil
- 1 cup white wine (I used Moscato)
- 2 tsp. salt
- Lots of fresh ground black pepper
- Dash of red pepper flakes
- 1 lb. of your favorite pasta
- Fresh grated Parmesan cheese or Romano cheese
- Dashes of fresh grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Heat a large cast iron frying pan.
- Add the butter, olive oil, Rosemary salt, fresh ground black pepper and red pepper flakes.
- Simmer on a gentle heat.
- Add the wine and simmer on a gentle heat for a minute or two.
- Remove from heat and prepare the pasta as directed in well salted water.
- Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water and add to the sauce.
- Drain the pasta and toss in the sauce.
- Serve with fresh grated cheese, fresh ground black pepper, dashes of fresh grated nutmeg and a dash of red pepper flakes.
Keywords: pasta, spaghetti, comfort food, main dish
DAVID J MYERS says
Catherine, This simple pasta dish with butter and cheese looks and sounds great! Simple too… Love the fact that the red pepper flakes are included but I’m not sure what I think about the nutmeg. Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
Proseccobefore7 says
Due to health reasons, we need to follow a gluten-free diet. Thank God there are amazing options for pasta and I can see ourselves enjoying this dish greatly. Thanks for sharing!
Stephanie says
I love the flavor of Rosemary! I was able to make this with vegan butter (and no cheese) due to my dairy allergy, and it was delicious! My boys enjoyed it with the cheese on top 🙂
★★★★★
Amber says
This looks so yummy! Adding to next weeks meal planning! Can’t wait to try it!
Laura le Roux says
Pasta is the best thing ever! This sounds amazing!
Luna S says
My husband loves angel hair pasta, and we are all big fans of cheese so this looks like something we’d love in my house!
Melissa Dixon says
This looks and sounds so good. I love the simplicity of this dish, the taste of butter and rosemary is perfect for me. I am going to give this a try.
Mosaic Designs says
I am literally drooling!!! This looks out of this world!!! And your recipe is very easy to follow! I can’t wait to cook it.
Jupiter Hadley says
This pasta sounds super delicious but also really easy! Thank you for sharing.
Dan "Jay" Reyes says
This looks yummy to me! Thank you for sharing.
Monica Y says
I love pasta recipes where you can enjoy the actual pasta without having a lot of toppings. Looks simple but delicious
Jasmine Martin says
I absolutely love butter pasta and this pasta looks so good! I’m going to have to make this for myself.