The time has come for me to share my ‘Quick & Dirty Pasta’ on the blog! Obviously, with everything going on, we could all use some more pantry friendly recipes. But funny story, I actually created this recipe a few years ago when I was living in NYC. It was the kind of recipe I could throw together after a big night out on the town. You know, that late-night moment when you’ve had a couple of drinks and there’s not a significant amount of energy or effort that can be offered up in the kitchen. When you need something quick, super easy, and utterly delicious. That’s how these noodles were born.
Now let’s go over exactly what’s going into this quick & dirty pasta. First up, noodles. I like to use spaghetti but linguini would work beautifully. You could opt for a different shape other than noodles (like macaroni or penne) if you don’t have long noodles lying around but if do, definitely use those if you have them. We’re looking for squiggly here. Next up we have garlic (lots of it!), shallots, nutritional yeast, dried herbs such as thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes, and a few condiments like vinegar and mustard. Binding everything together is vegan butter.
CREATING THE SAUCE FOR THIS QUICK & DIRTY PASTA
The best part of the whole process is mashing one whole stick of butter with a fork. I know it’s a lot but this is for 1 pound of pasta!. Once mashed with all of the other ingredients, the goal here is to create a whipped consistency that is seasoned through the roof! When the hot noodles hit the bowl, the mixture will melt into the noodles. The heat from the pasta (and some of the reserved pasta water) will cook the raw garlic and shallots ever so slightly. Just enough to take the raw bite off but still letting the flavor shine through.
FOR THE GARNISH
Simply mix together some extra thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, and nutritional yeast. This creates a flavorful dusting that pairs gloriously with the creamy, wet noodles. Don’t let me stop you there! I’ve added a few extra ingredients (like fresh lemon juice or truffle oil) that you could throw in. Or if you have them in your pantry or if you’re in the mood for an extra boost of flavor. Of course, fresh herbs are always welcome in my book. But I wanted to keep them optional just in case you don’t have many fresh ingredients. Parsley, in particular, would be lovely for this, but I wouldn’t turn down fresh basil or thyme either.
INTERESTED IN OTHER QUICK RECIPES LIKE THIS?
I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS QUICK & DIRTY PASTA!
Thank you for joining me here today! I hope that you love this gravy as much as I do. If you do try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below. It greatly helps the success of my site and makes me oh so happy to read. Happy cooking, y’all.
-Timothy
1 lb spaghetti noodles Garnish 1 teaspoon dried thyme Optional add-ons 1 to 2 tablespoons white truffle oil
If you don't have tongs, you can add a full cup of pasta water to the bowl and strain the noodles using a colander. But you should buy some tongs, too. 
Ingredients
5 large cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
⅓ cup nutritional yeast, plus garnish
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 stick vegan butter (8 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar or plain vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard or yellow mustard
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
A handful of freshly chopped herbs (parsley, basil or thyme)
Sprinkling of vegan cheese shreds Instructions
notes
83 comments
Quick, simple, easy and so flavorful! My brother was obsessed with it as much as I was and he’s not even vegan! 10/10 recommend to anyone and everyone (:
Yay! 10/10 is great. Thanks so much for the review.
Just perfect for quarantine or anytime! Thank you. Roasted asparagus to add some green on the side. Lol
Oh lovely! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂
OOOOOK. Do y’all remember being a kid and only wanting to eat cheesy butter noodles? THIS IS THE MOST ICONIC ADULT VERSION OF THAT EVER. EVER. Seriously. I can’t even believe i’ve never smooshed garlic into a paste for a sauce base. The flavors in this dish POP OFF. All of the herbs and nooch and butter together makes for the most creamy, delicious and flavor packed pile of noods in a total of about 10 minutes. probably less. i had all of the ingredients already, i watched the 3 minute youtube video (which also doubles as a relaxing ASMR) and then went to town. 10 MINUTES WELL WORTH IT. i’m almost done with the whole bowl. THANK YOU, TIMMY!
Yaaass! This review makes me so happy. I’m thrilled that you enjoyed it. 🙂
Y’ALL HAVE TO TRY THISE RECIPE! No joke it takes the amount of time to boil a big pot of water for the noodles. Its fun to crush the garlic in to a paste. Its rewarding to pull ingredients from the pantry that never get used. Its almost too quick and easy. And my goodness is it delicious! It tastes like the butter noodles mom used to make but with the flavor of a real, tinkered-with and perfected fine dining recipe. It feels like I’m a real chef! Thanks Timmy!
You’re so sweet- thanks for the lovely review. I do love how quickly this recipe comes together. Happy Cooking!
I happened to see this on Instagram and after watching the vid decided to make it immediately. No joke within 20 mins of seeing this for the first time, i had already made it!
We love super easy recipes and all of the ingredients are things we have on hand usually. I guesstimated most of the spices and the butter. So quick and awesome for lazy people like myself. We have gotten sick of the same old cheezy vegan pastas that end up tasting the same, so this was a breath of fresh air. Such a unique flavor (rice vinegar, soy sauce, red pepper) but maintains it’s pasta-ness.
Thank you so much for the sweet comment. I love it when I see a recipe and can immediately make it! Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
This was EXACTLY what I needed. Going back and forth into work while the rest of the world is in lockdown is exhausting, and frankly I just didn’t have the brain power to think of something to make for dinner. That’s the thing with being vegan, you make most everything from scratch, so you can’t be lazy. This recipe was so fast I didn’t even have to think about it. And it didn’t make a ton of extra dishes to clean. 10/10 will be making this again and again and again.
That’s my favorite kind of recipe- one with little cleanup! SO glad you enjoyed these noodles. Happy cooking!
I love that comment ☝? — Adult cheesy butter noodles — totally!!! It was simple to make and extremely delicious.
Haha! I’m so glad you enjoyed the noodles!
My husband turned to me and said “hands down this was the easiest and most delicious meal we’ve ever made.” We will 100% be making for future gatherings with the family. Thank you SO much for sharing with us ❤️
Wow! That makes me so happy to hear. Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
This pasta was amazing! So simple and fast to make with basic and cheap ingredients, my new go to pasta for sure!
Oh, I’m so glad! Thanks for leaving a sweet comment. Happy cooking!
This was such an amazing recipe, that I’ve already sent it on to work, family and friends. Its the perfect comfort food, with just enough work involved that you feel like you can truly eat it all in one sitting. By far my favourite pasta dish the I’ve made since going vegan three years ago! Thank you!
Look at that! This makes me so happy. I’m very glad you enjoyed the recipe.
I made this for dinner tonight for myself, my husband, and my teenaged son. The recipe was extremely easy to follow, and the results were delicious. I garnished it with pine nuts and fresh herbs, and served with freshly baked French bread. We absolutely devoured it, and my son wanted me to mention that he completely cleaned his plate to the point that it looked clean. This recipe is an instant family classic for us, and we’ll be making it again frequently. It kind of reminds me of the way that clam white sauce used to taste back in the day when we ate seafood. I really appreciate how fast this was to make, and with accessible, inexpensive ingredients, because I’m exhausted from cooking constantly for the past 6 weeks of quarantine. Thanks so much for this awesome recipe!
Amazing! I’m thrilled that you were able to share this recipe with your family. This makes me very happy! Thank you for the sweet comment.
Holy…if you are reading these comments and debating on making this, just stop reading and go make it all ready! This pasta is mind-blowing. Totally easy to follow and make. This recipe is a keeper!
Yayyy, I’m so glad you like the recipe. Thanks for the sweet comment.
Absolutely delicious! Lots of flavor. Quick and easy. Thank you!
I’ve made this several times and it’s always excellent. I like to roast some cherry tomatoes and add those along with fresh chopped basil at the end to make it ~fancy~ but it’s beautiful as is. Thank you!
Oh that sounds divine!
So I CAN use fresh as opposed to dried herbs? If so, would I use more since they’re fresh?
Yes, you can! But I would use them in addition to the dried varieties. Add as much freshly chopped herbs as you like! They will only intensify the flavor beautifully. (Ok, maybe not 2 cups worth but a few tablespoons!)
This is a quick and easy pasta dish. The flavor burst is amazing. Use Shallots, trust me. They do add am extra layer of flavor.
As with all recipes, I recommend read the whole recipe first and have your ingredients chopped, diced and ready to go. Then, its super easy and quick to assemble. Thanks Timothy for your Blog and your cookbook!
Thanks Barry! I am so glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
Wow! This pasta is so delicious. And its a snap to make. I think this might become a go-to for a busy weekday dinner. My fiancé just said it was “the best pasta” he’s ever had. Thank you for sharing your genius, Timmy!
Best pasta!? That’s what I like to hear. So glad you like it. Thank you!
We used Jackie’s suggestion and roasted some cherry tomatoes with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary. When those were added, it took the 10/10 recipe to another level! Our Kroger stores sell a Cheesecake Factory brown bread that is vegan in the bakery area, and it made a perfect complement to the pasta.
OK, now I’m going to have to try adding roasted cherry tomatoes!!! So happy you liked the recipe! 🙂
Holy moly this is easy, delicious and satisfying! I used dry mustard (I was out of regular mustard), a different vegan butter and gluten free pasta and I’m obsessed! Thanks for creating and sharing this gem of a recipe! Love your site and your IG!
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you for the comment.
Yup. 100% all the positive comments about this recipe. I’m currently making the recipe for the fifth time paired with seasonal veggies. Love ya, Timmy! Thank you for sharing your passion with us.
You are very welcome! Thank you for the love!
Wow, this was a great idea. Very easy to make and loved by myself, my husband, and our ten year old daughter! We are planning on making this again and adding chopped sun dried tomatoes and olives, which we think will be great additions.
This is so lovely to hear! Thank you!
OK, I rarely comment on recipes, but I just made this for dinner tonight, and I am OBSESSED. This is honestly one of my new favorite recipes–so simple, but with deliciously complex flavors and made with ingredients I always have on hand. I added the lemon juice and topped it with pea shoots as a garnish. I’ve already sent this recipe to a bunch of my friends. LOVE LOVE LOVE!
So sorry I took so long to respond! I missed this. Thank you!!! I am so glad you liked the recipe.
We absolutely loved this recipe! It is so delicious and the cooking method is so cool and easy!
This dish puts a smile on my face every time I take a bite. Thanks, MV!
I’m so glad!
I adore this recipe so much! So comforting.
After trying this i know i need to get your cookbook.
Aww, thank you! I hope that you do!
I made this exactly as written and it was delicious!! Do you think it would work to use half olive oil and half butter next time to cut down on saturated fat? I know this is not meant to be a health dish lol but I wanna make it often since it was so tasty, but also quick and easy
Yes, I think that would be just fine! I am so glad you enjoyed it!
This is just so damn good and so easy to throw together. I’ve made it multiple times and every time, I am blown away by how delicious it is. The dijon in this is magic. Man, this is so good. It’s become our new quick and easy Friday night go-to.
I love that! Thank you for leaving a review! Happy cooking.
I combined this recipe with most of the ingredients of Julia Child’s Marco Polo Spaghetti. It was amazing. Love the technique of mixing the butter (and I cut down butter and added some olive oil) in a bowl with other ingredients then adding hot pasta. Super fast, easy, and flavorful!
Yay! I am so glad you like it! Thank you.
This is such a great weeknight meal. A nice spin on the usual pasta dish we make constantly. It’s so flavorful and the truffle oil is choice! Loved it.
Yay! Thank you!
Amazing! This was so yummy and filling. I added air fried chickpeas, and fresh chopped spinach and tomatoes. I’ll definitely be making again!
That sounds BOMB!!!
Every time I leave a review on one of your recipes, I’m bursting at the seams with expletives. Your recipes are so good I just wanna curse about them. I’ll keep it appropro for the public, but HOT DIGGITY DOG this is what I call a GAT DANG recipe!!!! It’s so flavorful! So simple! So effortless! So satisfying! My husband and I kept pausing after each bite to exchange curse words about it. We even ate it cold at midnight while watching Sopranos, which we never do. We just couldn’t stop thinking about it.
You’re a genius. Thank you for your contributions. You make veganism taste so good.
You are so sweet! Thank you for the love and kind words. I am so thrilled you like my recipes!! Also- yes to Sopranos. I’ve watched the whole series twice and will probably start it up again this year because it’s so good! Happy cooking.
This is my go-to now when I don’t have a sauce already made. Super easy and quick — delicious, too! I’ve recommended it to many others. 🙂
Awesome!! Thank you for the love!
I made this a handful of times this past year during quarantine. (okay maybe more than a handful) And I agree with the others… this is the adult version of the buttery parmesan noodles you ate as a kid. It’s soooo delicious.
Everyone has said it already: this is just out of this world. Unbelievably complex and delicious flavours. THANK YOU! I’ve been hosting a veg thanksgiving for over 15 years and each year I make a non-vegan mac and cheese for my guests because I’ve never found anything that could top it….until now. This dish will be replacing that mac and cheese this year!
Yay!! Love hearing this! Thank you so much for letting me know.
Love making this so much. It’s one of the few things I have on a regular rotation. I was wondering whether it’s okay to make the “sauce” a day in advance (mash the garlic, spices and butter up) and keep in the fridge? And if so, should I add in the soy, vinegar + mustard as well, or should I add it the next day? I just want to prep in advance for a big group dinner…. Thank you!
Yes, I totally think you could do that! Great way to prep in advance. SO happy you like the recipe!
I’ll admit I was hesitant to try this combination, but it turned out so delicious! Thank you!
Holy Jeebus this recipe is a blessing!!!!
I have a 13 year old and a 15 year old and we are all vegan. I think I have also been tired since the day the second one was born lol. Recipes like this make my life so much easier when the day has just been overwhelming. It is so much better than warming up a dumb soy dog and takes just as much time!! The kiddos have it memorized an make it sometimes when work keeps me late. Follow Your Heart parm shreds are the sh*t on this too!!! Thank you thank you thank youuu!
Yay!!! Thank you for this. You are very welcome.
I like to try a new recipe after having an edible. The ultimate tell if it’s worthy, is when a little high, you can taste a variety of different tastes. Salty, spicy, herby, tart, sweet (added half a slow roasted tomato and black vinegar in place of rice vinegar), and this umami from the nutritional yeast and soy sauce. This was phenomenal. Would 100% make again and again. Only a mind of a curious genius could create such a dish. BAM!
Thank you for this lovely comment. I am so happy you liked it!
I’m obsessed. I make this almost every week. Definitely a comfort food. I keep all the dry spices pre measured out in small jars. That way on cook night, it’s super quick and easy. I also love to add beyond sausage and veggies for a complete meal.
That’s awesome!! I love to hear it! Great idea with the additions, too. Thank you.
What in the entire world? Wow! I sorta put this together (quartered the recipe as it was just for me) and the flavors were amazing!
Oh, that is so awesome to hear!! So happy you liked it!
This is one of my faves! Feeling the need for comfort food so am gonna make this for supper tonight.
Hi Erin! Thank you for the sweet comment. This is always a go-to for me when I need something easy and comforting. Thanks for letting me know you feel the same way. Big smiles, t
Amazing!!!!!! My husband said “this tastes like it came from a restaurant”! Seriously delicious!
Wow, that is so awesome to hear!! Thank you for letting me know. Happy cooking!
Perfect pantry pasta! Delicious
Yayy, thank you for letting me know! Happy cooking.