Pasta burro e parmigiano

Last updated: August 18, 2025

Serves 2

2 L water
20 g kosher salt
30 g really good French butter
175 g capellini
30 g Parm-Reg, grated

Heat the water and salt in a large pan over high heat. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than al dente, then transfer to another pan large enough to toss the pasta and turn the heat to medium. Reserve 350 ml (about a cup and a half) of the pasta water, though you’ll likely only need 200 ml. Add the butter and toss or stir to start to create the sauce. Remove the pan from the heat and give it a minute to cool down. If you add the cheese while the pan’s too hot, it’ll turn into glue. Add the cheese and a splash of the water and stir or toss to combine. The sauce should be fairly thick, thick enough that there shouldn’t be extra sauce in the bowl when you finish eating. Almost all of it should stick to the noodles.