Brown Butter And Parmesan Are The Only 2 Ingredients You Need For The Easiest Decadent Pasta

Everyone loves a classic ragu alla Bolognese or a simple caramelized onion pasta, but the beauty of these noodles is how easily you can pull together a meal with as many or as few ingredients as you want or have. This is why you will love brown butter and parmesan pasta. It's easy to make but will result in a flavor that tastes like you spent hours slaving over a hot stove.

When it comes to how to make brown butter, or beurre noisette if you want to be fancy, it is a fairly easy process that requires you to melt butter and watch and swirl as it turns brown. You do need to exercise some vigilance because once butter melts it can go from brown to burnt rather quickly. As the water evaporates from this solid dairy product during this process, you're left with a golden butter and browned milk solids. But beyond the beautiful hue is how the taste transforms, giving this liquid gold a toasted-nut flavor and aroma. Some people like to filter the brown bits from their butter while others do not; it is really a matter of preference. Add a little pasta water, whisk hard, and watch it foam and thicken, before you add cooked spaghetti, or another pasta shape, and sprinkle generously with parmesan before one final mix.

In this golden state, brown butter is perfect for coating your noodles and with a little parmesan, it becomes velvety, delicious and perfectly savory. To make the brown butter, you can use anywhere from a whole stick to just 6 tablespoons depending on how much pasta you are making. If you make too much, you can always use the extra for garlic bread.

When it comes to the type of butter to use, most people opt for an unsalted butter; however, if you like the fuller savory taste of salted butter, it too can be used to make brown butter. Once you get this recipe down, you can add a third easy ingredient: herbs. Crisped-up sage leaves cooked in the butter, torn-up fresh basil, chopped parsley, or a sprinkling of oregano will all add flavor to your dish. A small amount of any of these herbs goes a long way. And for even more green ingredients, you can make a brown butter pasta with shaved Brussels sprouts or substitute whatever sauteed veggies you might be craving.