Name: Three-Ingredient Parm Pasta
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 6 oz. Parmesan, coarsely grated on the large holes of a box grater (about 1½ cups); ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 lb. spaghetti; Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

A plate of spaghetti with sauce and black pepper.

Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Erika Joyce

This weeknight wonder takes just three ingredients to make: Parmesan, olive oil, and pasta. While it might seem impossible to make a restaurant-quality sauce with nothing more than olive oil and cheese, this technique proves otherwise. Combining grated Parmesan, cold water, and a glug of oil in a blender creates a velvety sauce that perfectly clings to pasta. When adding the blended Parmesan mixture to the pasta, the cheese might clump up, but don’t fret: With a little bit of stirring and some pasta cooking liquid, it will melt in uniformly. This pasta is reminiscent of grown-up mac and cheese: creamy, savory, and irrefutably comforting.

Although you can serve this as-is straight from the pot, the recipe is ripe for add-ons: A grating of raw garlic could add a sharp bite, a showering of lemon zest would brighten it up, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes would add some heat, and a scattering of toasted breadcrumbs would provide welcomed crunch.

What you’ll need

Colander
$15 At Amazon
5.5 Quart Dutch Oven
$435 At Amazon
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
$21 At Amazon

Recipe information

Total Time
20 minutes
Yield
4 servings

Ingredients

6 oz. Parmesan, coarsely grated on the large holes of a box grater (about 1½ cups)

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb. spaghetti

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Step 1
Blend 6 oz. Parmesan, coarsely grated on the large holes of a box grater (about 1½ cups), ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, and ¾ cup cold water in a blender on high speed until very smooth, slightly fluffy, and creamy (almost like mayonnaise), 1–2 minutes for a high-speed blender or about 3 minutes for a regular blender. Set Parmesan mixture aside.
Step 2
Cook 1 lb. spaghetti in a large pot of boiling heavily salted water until very al dente, 6–8 minutes (about 2 minutes less than package directions; pasta will continue to cook in the sauce). Drain, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid. Shake colander to remove excess water from pasta and place back into hot pot.
Step 3
Place pot over medium heat and immediately add reserved Parmesan mixture. Using tongs, toss pasta, adding pasta cooking liquid a hefty splash at a time as needed, until cheese is melted, sauce is smooth, and pasta is completely coated, glossy, and saucy (it should look similar to Alfredo sauce), about 5 minutes. Taste pasta and season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Divide pasta among shallow bowls to serve. (You want to serve immediately; if pasta thickens too much as it sits and cools, you can add a splash of warm water and toss until sauce is creamy again.)