Name: Parsley Parmesan Pasta
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 500 grams / 1 pound macaroni pasta; 5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced; 55 grams / 4 tablespoons butter; 30 grams / 1/3 cup parmesan, grated; 1 1/2 cups flat leaf parsley leaves; 80 milliliters / 1/3 cup heavy cream; Salt and pepper to taste; Shaved parmesan to serve

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Very tempted to call this Parsley Parmesan Pasta fast parsley pasta or 15-minute parsley pasta, but regardless of the name, this dish is fast and can be made with or without a blender and should be made in one pan because honestly, washing up is not something we should have to spend more time on than we already do.

As far as herbs go, parsley is one of those left field herbs that is not oft a star, but it really is a star ingredient whilst also being incredibly good for us and really tasty so this recipe was one that kind of came out of having a bunch in the kitchen to use in some other recipes and also having a bag of pasta in the cupboard.

The best description that has been given to this Parsley Parmesan Pasta in the multiples it's been made in our kitchen the past few months is that it's parsley mac and cheese and that ain't a bad name for it either.

This dish comes together in 15 minutes flat, no lies and can be made in one saucepan, though if you use a blender and you’ll need a bowl to rest the cooked pasta in for 5 minutes too so it’s minimal in the way you’ll need to clean up.

Sometimes pasta can be a real time suck, even though it's always worth it and there haven't been many pasta dishes shared here as it didn't feature much in my diet until Mr Brooks came into my life and it got reintroduced as a great meal option.

The abundant flavor of buttery garlic and creamy sauce coats the pasta and don’t worry too much about it sticking together, this is one of those casual dishes and this sauce will meander it’s way through the dish so do your best and enjoy this on a lazy night.

Why you'll love this

It's a fast dinner

Prep and plated in 15 minutes, this doesn't need much time.

Creamy, but still fresh

It's comforting, but not too creamy with parsley getting to be the star of the show.

How to prepare Parsley Parmesan Pasta

Cook yo pasta: Cook the pasta in a deep saucepan.
Set your pasta aside: With 1 tablespoon of butter with all the water you've cooked it with.
Cook your garlic: Cook the garlic with your remaining butter until lightly browned.
Blend the parsley: Make a pesto style sauce with the parsley and other ingredients:
Return the pasta to the saucepan: Add the pasta and parsley sauce into the saucepan with the cooked garlic.
Cheese it up: Add the parmesan and stir to melt.
Serve: Spoon the pasta onto your serving plates and top with more parmesan.
Enjoy: Dig in!

Tips for the best Parsley Parmesan Pasta

Sticky pasta: Due to this cooking in a large saucepan instead of a pot, some of the pasta may stick together, even after the creamy sauce has been stirred through, if you want to avoid this, you might want to stir.

Add more cheese (if you want): Wanting this to be more creamy than cheesy, you could easily double the parmesan or add half a cup of grated cheese of your preference to this to make it cheesier.

Other herbs: If you're not a fan of parsley, this would definitely work with a bunch of basil or a mix of parsley, basil and a pinch of thyme or rosemary to make thise more herby.

More pasta recipes you'll enjoy

Creamy Bacon and Kale Pasta

Beef Stroganoff with Buttered Pasta

Broccoli Mac and Cheese

How to make:

Fill a deep saucepan with water ⅔ way up and set on medium-high heat.

Add the pasta and cook on a low simmer, stirring to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick together too much.

Place the parsley, parmesan, cream and salt in a blender and set aside (or if you don’t have a blender, finely chop the parsley and set aside).

Once the pasta is cooked, spoon into a bowl with the pasta water.

Spoon 3 tablespoons of the pasta water into the blender.

Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pasta and stir through to ensure it doesn’t stick (as this cooks in a saucepan, there will likely not be a large amount of pasta water remaining).

Place the remaining butter in the saucepan and add the sliced garlic, return to the heat and cook, stirring until lightly browned, approximately 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, blend the parsley parmesan mixture until fine and add to the garlic.

Return the pasta to the pan and stir through the parsley sauce.

Remove from the heat and place on your serving dishes.

Sprinkle over parmesan and season.

Serve immediately.