Nutty brown butter and parmesan cheese give this pasta dish tons of flavor! This Spaghetti with Parmesan, Pine Nuts and Brown Butter Sauce is a simple, comforting dinner.
It is very difficult going through life as a space cadet. I am constantly emailing myself reminders because I know most thoughts won’t stay in my head for more than a moment. I’m the only person I know who can repeat the two thing I need from downstairs, out loud, all the way down the stairs and still forget one of the things.
I keep multiple lists in an attempt to stay organized- tasks, groceries, recipes, etc. I scribble reminders all over my calendar. Being a space cadet is not only annoying, it’s time consuming and sometimes a bit exhausting. I waste a lot of time being distracted, trying to remember things or realizing I forgot about certain things.
What’s nice about this spaghetti with parmesan, pine nuts and brown butter sauce is that it requires very little thinking on my part. I always have these ingredients in the kitchen so there’s no concern about forgetting to pick them up. It takes very little time to prepare so there’s no need to think about it earlier in the day. It is, in a way, the perfect dinner for a space cadet like me.
Spaghetti with Parmesan, Pine Nuts and Brown Butter Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti, or pasta of your choice
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup chicken stock, homemade or low-sodium (see notes)
- 2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the pasta according to package instructions. Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and set aside.
- In a sauté pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium low heat. Add the pine nuts and toss to coat. Stir periodically until the pine nuts are golden brown and fragrant. Add the garlic and stir for another minute. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter. Turn the heat up to medium and whisk constantly until the butter begins to brown. You can push the color a bit (more brown color equals more flavor) but be careful that it doesn't burn. When the butter is nice and brown, add the chicken stock and whisk together briefly. Allow the sauce to reduce down by about half or until it reaches a desirable sauce consistency, about 5 minutes. Season with a bit of salt to taste.
- In a large bowl, toss together the cooked pasta, pine nuts, garlic, brown butter sauce and lemon juice. Stir in the parmesan cheese. Add some of the reserved pasta water as needed to help the ingredients combine.
- Garnish with more grated parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
Recipe Troubleshooting
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I’m the same! It’s nice up here in my own little world and I have no intention of leaving. And yes, if it’s not written down, it doesn’t get done :-) I love a good, simple yet tasty pasta dish like this.
I eat pasta similar to this pretty often, but never add nuts – good idea for extra texture a little bit more proten!
This pasta dish sounds unbelievably delicious – the flavor combo must be out of this world amazing, I’m sure. And your pictures are gorgeous – I’m in awe.
xxxx
I love simple pasta recipes just like this. The perfect quick dinner or lunch :-) Awesome picts as always!!
Love the addition of lemon in this dish – and your photos are mesmerizing – gorgeous!
I’m the exact same way… if I don’t write it down or send myself an email, or set it in my calender on my black berry, it doesn’t happen. This pasta is right up my alley!
From one space cadet to another- this pasta looks amazing. Simplicity at it’s best!!
Simple but perfect!
Wow Mindblowing pictures, Brown butter in pasta is terrific…love it .
It’s very likely you are my brain sister. I’ve never met anyone who could get as lost as I can on the way up the stairs. “just make a list!!!!” they say. Well, what happens when you lose the list? I can’t wait to make this, it looks divine.
I made this today evening and at the end of the dinner my husband didn´t say “thank you”.No. He said “I love you”! :-D So thanks so much for this great recipe! Already on my list of favourites!
You are me. I have all your issues. Thankfully, I seem to like all the same foods as well. Making this tonight, as I, too, have all the ingredients on hand. Thanks!
Great recipe particularly after having our power restored after a week of no power. That obviously means everything in the frig and freezer was tossed. But, the pantry was full of pine nuts and the butter and cheese were just fine. Great recipe. Now, my question is, how in the world did you get the pasta to stand so tall on the plate in your pictures?
I’m loving all the recipes out with brown butter now! And for the longest time we weren’t eating a lot of pasta but it is definitely making its way back into our dinner rotation. Looking forward to this one!
Such simple ingredients create a most exquisite pasta dish! Love this!!