This one pot Garlic Butter Pasta is creamy, cozy, and packed with rich flavor from garlic, butter, and freshly grated parmesan. Sometimes the simplest recipes are the ones you come back to over and over again.

It’s the perfect quick dinner, easy side dish, or late-night comfort meal that is ready in just 15 minutes!

In college, I lived on buttery noodles with mozzarella or Parmesan cheese. It was quick, easy, and I wasn’t super into spaghetti sauce, so it was my way of enjoying pasta. It’s perfect for anyone who’s single, in college, has a family, or is an empty nester, so I love that it works for everyone! This garlic butter pasta is an elevated version of my dorm room favorite!

Ingredients You’ll Need For Garlic Butter Pasta

This recipe uses just a handful of pantry staples, but when they come together, the result is silky, flavorful pasta with incredible depth. Freshly grated parmesan makes all the difference here, so don’t skip that step.

• Fresh Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated for the best melt and flavor. Blending it into a fine texture helps it cling beautifully to the pasta.
• Olive Oil: Sautés the garlic and help toast the pasta slightly for added depth.
• Garlic: Minced fresh garlic gives the dish its signature savory flavor.
• Ditalini Pasta: Small tube-shaped pasta that cooks directly in the broth and absorbs flavor as it softens. Orzo or macaroni works in a pinch.
• Chicken Broth: Cooks the pasta while infusing it with rich, savory flavor.
• Heavy Cream: Adds silkiness and brings everything together into a smooth sauce.
• Unsalted Butter: Stirred in at the end for richness and a glossy finish.
• Salt and Black Pepper: Balance and enhance all the flavors.
• Fresh Parsley: Adds freshness and color right before serving.
• Aglio Seasoning or Red Pepper Flakes: Optional for a little heat and extra depth.

With just a few simple ingredients, this one pot garlic butter pasta transforms into a creamy, garlicky dish. Measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

How to Make This Pasta Dish

This is a true one-pot pasta recipe, meaning the noodles cook right in the broth. That means less cleanup and more flavor infused into every bite.

1. Blend: Add a chunk of Parmesan to a blender and pulse until finely grated, almost powdery. This helps it melt smooth

Generously swirled with finely chopped pecans and turtle candies, this caramel vanilla Turtle Ice Cream is the kind of dessert that leans old-fashioned, but never loses its pull. Each scoop highlights the classic candy that’s been sparking smiles for the last century.

Homemade ice cream has a way of slowing things down and pulling people closer together. And, this classic turtle ice cream with it’s rich chocolate, caramel and nuts never fails to make our conversations linger a little longer while the spoons clink in their bowls. It reminds me of my pralines and cream ice cream, that way.

Turtle ice cream does not need elaborate toppings or accompaniments. A simple bowl and a spoon are enough. But, if you love caramel like I do, then you know it never hurts to add a little more! A drizzle of homemade salted caramel sauce fits perfectly with those classic turtle flavors, and takes each serving right over the top.

Turtle Ice Cream

You know how some treats just feel old fashioned? This ice cream feels that way to me. Chocolate covered nuts with caramel is a pairing that has stood the test of time. And, as an ice cream flavor, it takes me right back to standing on my tiptoes, peering into the glass case at Thrifty’s after church. As kids we could choose whichever scoop we wanted, and I just knew any ice cream with a caramel swirl would be irresistible.

This turtle ice cream recipe uses the same process as a lot of my favorite ice cream flavors with add-in candies, chocolates, etc. I’ve found that churning add-ins into the base often results in an almost homogenous flavor. And, that makes each bite a little less interesting. So, adding the nuts, candy and caramel as layers at the end instead keeps those flavors distinct in each bite.

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If there was ever a woman who understood that good food is about more than what’s on the plate, it was Dolly Parton.

So we’re celebrating Dolly the way we know best — with food.

From her famous love of potatoes to biscuits, barbecue and her beloved banana pudding, these are our recipes inspired by the Southern foods Dolly loved, cooked and grew up eating.

And anyone who said she’d never met a spud she didn’t like will always have a special place in our hearts.

These are our Oh Sweet Basil recipes inspired by Dolly’s favorite foods and Southern food traditions, not Dolly’s personal recipes.

Dolly Parton’s Favorite Food: Potatoes

We have to start with potatoes because Dolly made her feelings about them VERY clear. Mashed, baked, fried — she loved them all. So naturally, potatoes get their own section.

Fall baking is officially here, and we’re celebrating with all the best fall desserts in one delicious place! From homemade pumpkin pie and warm apple crisp to chewy pumpkin cookies, cinnamon rolls, cobblers and gooey cakes, these are the recipes we come back to as soon as fall arrives.

Pumpkin Desserts for Fall

It wouldn’t be fall without pumpkin! From classic pumpkin pie to cookies, breads and gooey butter cake, these recipes make the most of everyone’s favorite fall ingredient.

Ground beef is seasoned generously with Mexican spices and tossed with black beans and corn to create what we at our house consider “The Best Taco Meat”. It’s perfect for tacos, salads, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, you name it. Or, just served hot from the pan with plenty of shredded cheese (if you’re my nieces).

This recipe is so simple that I initially almost didn’t post it. But, I’ve come to realize that simple recipes are what most of us need as we try to balance all of our responsibilities while feeding our families. What could be better than the super easy recipes I turn to on my busiest days? Plus, if you keep some homemade taco seasoning on hand, this meal can literally be on the table in minutes.

Taco Meat

This taco meat recipe was my saving grace year after year when we got back into the routine of school and other activities. My boys declared that it was “The Best Taco Meat, Ever!” and so it was likely to be our lunch and/or part of our dinner at least once a week.

There are so many ways to serve it that my family never gets bored of having the same core ingredients over and over again. It’s an easy recipe that you can enjoy in tons of different ways. And, it portions and freezes beautifully, making it even easier for the kids to grab and go now that they’re older.