Transform Any Pasta Dish With One Flavorful Addition

I'm a big fan of simple pasta dishes, and an even bigger fan of pasta that uses the stuff you actually have on hand in your kitchen. Getting to enjoy a tasty meal that also saves me a trip to the grocery store? Yes, please! That said, even I sometimes tire of the rote nature of my usual pasta line-up. Does that mean I want to try out new and possibly high-effort recipes? Not always — even though some pasta recipes never get old. No, sometimes I'm feeling greedy and want the best of both worlds, i.e., new and delicious food with low, low effort. And this, my friends, is where compound butter takes the stage.

Compound butter is what you make it. No, really — anything can be made into an even more delicious compound butter. That's because compound butter is literally just butter plus another delicious ingredient (or a few ingredients), which you can then add to any dish that calls for plain old butter. In other words? You can make pasta with just compound butter and it'll be jam-packed with flavor. It's a peak lazy day meal, though I, of course, suggest adding some protein and veg to the pan, too. Don't worry: Frozen veggies are still super healthy, so chucking in a handful is really all a boon without a downside.

So, the big question now becomes: How exactly do you make compound butter? Luckily for you, it's pretty straightforward. Just take a stick of softened, unsalted butter and mix in your choice of ingredients — and that's all there is to it. You can store your compound butter in the fridge in either a plastic-wrapped log or an air-tight container. It'll keep for a week, and you can also stash it in the freezer for 3 months.

The sky's the limit when it comes to picking your ingredients, but if we're talking pasta specifically, here are my personal suggestions. Create a compound butter with diced basil, shallots, and sun-dried tomatoes and add it to spaghetti for a bright, summery dish. For something deep, rich, and complex, try garlic, truffle salt, and roasted mushrooms with bowtie pasta and chicken. 

I also love tossing chili oil, garlic crisp, shallots, and soy sauce into my compound butter, which goes great with yakisoba noodles. Once you've dipped your toes into the compound butter waters, you'll be swimming in more tasty pasta dishes than you can count on both of your buttery hands.