It’s That Simple is our series about recipes so easy, you can make them with your eyes closed. Think tiny ingredient lists, laid-back techniques, and results so delicious you’ll text home about them.
Smoky brown-butter pasta is a pantry-friendly, grown-up version of beloved buttered noodles. Brown butter, smoked paprika, and garlic create a sauce that makes a big impact with no extra ingredients. Its success is twofold: First, make sure to really brown your butter. You’ll know it’s ready when the sizzling has subsided and it smells deeply of toasted nuts. The second is to add your smoked paprika to the brown butter as soon as it’s done. Blooming the spices in fat helps to release and heighten their flavor.
Recipe information
Total Time
30 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
12
½
2
2
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Cook 12 oz. spaghetti in a large pot of boiling generously salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid, and set aside.
Step 2
Cook ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter in same pot over medium-high heat, stirring and scraping bottom often to prevent burning, until it foams, then browns and is very fragrant, about 4 minutes. Quickly stir in 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, and 2 Tbsp. smoked paprika, then immediately add reserved pasta and ½ cup pasta cooking liquid. Cook, stirring and adding more pasta cooking liquid as needed, until a loose, glossy sauce forms, 2–3 minutes. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Step 3
Divide pasta among shallow bowls and top with chopped salted roasted almonds and parsley if desired.