This is all the flavors of buttery, herby garlic bread, but transformed into a quick and easy pasta dish! Mixing butter and garlic with the starchy pasta water and cheese creates a silky-smooth sauce that sticks to the noodles. My favorite part is the crunchy panko topping, which reminds me of the crunch from garlic bread.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 40 min |
| Active: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 8 cloves garlic
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
- 1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the breadcrumbs and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until they start to toast, 1 to 2 minutes. Grate one of the garlic cloves into the breadcrumbs and stir to incorporate. Cook until evenly golden brown, then transfer to a plate. Set aside until ready to serve. Chop the remaining 7 cloves garlic and set aside.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 2 cups pasta water before draining. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil to a pan and heat over medium until the butter is melted. Add the chopped garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is soft but not browned, about 3 minutes. (Keep an eye on it to make sure the garlic doesn’t burn.)
- Add 3/4 cup pasta water to the pan with the garlic and bring to a simmer. Add half of the Parmesan and Pecorino Romano and use a silicone spatula to stir until the cheeses have melted into the sauce. Turn the heat down to low and transfer the pasta to the pan; toss to combine. Add the remaining cheeses and toss to coat the pasta in the cheese. Add more pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, to help create a silky sauce; this could take 3 to 4 minutes. Cook until the sauce is silky and smooth, then turn off the heat and add the basil and parsley. Toss to combine.
- Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl and top with the garlic breadcrumbs and extra herbs if desired. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 701 |
| Total Fat | 37 g |
| Saturated Fat | 15 g |
| Carbohydrates | 65 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Protein | 27 g |
| Cholesterol | 65 mg |
| Sodium | 625 mg |
Reviews
Made exactly as recipe called for. We loved it. My husband said can you make this every week.
It was a little boring, followed as directed, hand grated 2 full packed cups of fresh parm & romano.. Felt like it needed something though, more herbs, more flavor.. I liked the breadcrumbs but don’t think I’ll be repeating the pasta.
Made exactly as directed, mostly. I forgot to save the pasta water so just added tap water, and subbed orzo for the spaghetti. This is delicious! The cheese loosened up as it cooked and water was added. I had no lumps of cheese in my finished dish.
Made as directed. It was too dry. I found that the crunch from the breadcrumbs was more annoying than anything. And yes, the cheese does clump up so be prepared for that.
I had trouble with the pecorino melting in the pasta water. It just got all clumpy. Next time I will use Fontina instead of the pecorino. Other than that, it was really good. The bread crumbs were delicious!!!
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This dish is prefect as a side dish or excellent as a main!! It really does give garlic bread vibes! I served it with a simple toss salad and garlic bread of course!! I reserved half the bread crumbs to be used for everyone to top their pasta with as they wished and there was plenty. They also made a great topping for the salad in place of croutons!!