Simple Garlic Butter Bucatini (Printable Version)

Al dente bucatini coated in garlic butter, finished with shredded chicken and a touch of parsley.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 7 oz bucatini pasta

→ Sauce

02 - 3 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 3 large garlic cloves, finely minced

→ Topping

04 - 7 oz cooked shredded chicken breast (rotisserie or poached)
05 - Salt, to taste
06 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
07 - 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook bucatini according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
02 - Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant without browning.
03 - Add the drained bucatini to the skillet and toss to coat evenly with garlic butter. Add reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
04 - Season the pasta with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Divide the pasta evenly between two plates.
05 - Top each serving with shredded chicken and sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like effort but takes almost none, the kind of dish that makes you look like you know what youre doing in the kitchen.
  • The garlic butter clings to every strand of bucatini, turning each bite into something silky and deeply satisfying.
  • You can have it on the table in 25 minutes, which means you can go from starving to completely content before you even finish your podcast episode.
02 -
  • Do not let the garlic brown or it will turn bitter and ruin the whole dish, I burned it once while answering a text and had to start over.
  • Reserve that pasta water before you drain, it has starch and salt that will bind the sauce to the noodles in a way plain water never could.
  • Taste before you add more salt, the pasta water and butter are already seasoned and you might not need as much as you think.
03 -
  • Use a large skillet so the pasta has room to move and coat evenly without clumping.
  • If youre using rotisserie chicken, pull it apart with your hands while its still warm, it shreds more easily and stays tender.
  • Toss the pasta in the skillet off the heat if youre nervous about burning the garlic, the residual warmth will still coat everything beautifully.
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