Lazy Girl Three-Ingredient Pasta

# What you need:

→ Pasta

01 - 7 oz dried pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine)

→ Sauce

02 - 3 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter

03 - 2 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese

→ For Finishing

04 - Salt, to taste

05 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste (optional)

# Steps to follow:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente.

02 - Reserve about 2/3 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

03 - Return the hot pasta to the pot off the heat. Add the butter and toss until melted and the pasta is evenly coated.

04 - Add the Parmesan cheese and about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss vigorously until a creamy sauce forms, adding more water as needed for desired consistency.

05 - Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately, optionally topped with extra Parmesan.

# Expert tips:

01 -

It comes together in under 20 minutes, which means you can actually relax before eating instead of stress-cooking.
The pasta water does all the heavy lifting—it's where all the starch lives, and that's what creates the silky sauce without any cream.
You probably already have everything in your kitchen, so there's no last-minute grocery run required.

02 -

The pasta water is not just any water—it's full of starch that acts like an emulsifier, binding the butter and cheese together instead of letting them separate into greasy puddles.
Never add cold ingredients to hot pasta, and never let the pasta sit around before you dress it—speed is your friend here because the pasta is still holding heat and will keep cooking slightly.

03 -