This is an incredibly simple five ingredient garlic parmesan sauce that you can add to pasta, wings, and so much more. Use it to dip your favorite pizza crust and bread, or simply drizzle it over anything where you want a burst of garlicky zest.

This garlic parmesan sauce is unbelievably quick and flavorful. It comes together in just five minutes from start to finish.

With just a few minutes of effort you’ll be creating something delicious – no bottled sauces or dressings required!

A silver sauce pan full of garlic parmesan sauce
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We love an easy weeknight pasta dinner, and I know your family probably does, too! That’s why I am always working on easy, quick sauces that are packed with flavor but effortless.

Looking for more ideas? Check out Creamy Fontina Cheese Pasta, Lemon Pepper Sauce, Spaghetti With Mizithra Cheese And Browned Butter, and the classic Pasta Aglio E Olio.

We love those creamy, garlicky, cheesy pasta options and I’m always so thrilled to share with you! Balance this type of pasta dish with a beautiful salad or roasted veggies and it becomes a wholesome, nutritious meal everyone can enjoy.

The big bonus about this incredibly simple recipe is that it can be used in so many ways. Dip pizza, breadsticks, veggies or chicken kabobs into it, or baste your favorite grilled meats.

It’s a topping, it’s a dip, and it’s a vibrant sauce for a variety of your favorite pasta shapes. Let’s celebrate the simplicity of butter, garlic and parmesan, am I right? I know you’re going to love it!

Why You’ll Love this Garlic Parmesan Sauce

  • So Easy
  • Customize to Your Tastes
  • Fastest Weeknight Dinner
  • So Versatile

These pasta sauce creates one of the best Salmon Side Dishes, and don’t miss this round up of Side Dishes for Steak, too. It’s one of our favorite Pasta Side Dishes.

Garlic Parmesan Sauce Ingredients

  • Butter – Salted butter is fine here – if you use unsalted, just watch your additional salt and make sure you add it to taste!
  • Minced Garlic – You can also use garlic powder, but I prefer fresh minced garlic. We love a lot of garlic around our house, and you can find my complete guide to Garlic Conversions here! Learn how to peel garlic here and how to mince garlic here.
  • Salt – I always love big cracks of sea salt but you can use any kind of salt!
  • Pepper – Fresh cracked pepper is ideal.
  • Parmesan – Fresh grated parmesan is the best bet! You can use pre-grated but it just doesn’t melt as well.
Ingredients for garlic parmesan sauce laid out on a marble surface

Variations

  • Use Garlic Confit instead of fresh garlic.
  • Or add Roasted Garlic.
  • Add a little heavy whipping cream to create a creamy garlic parmesan sauce – up to one cup!
  • Italian Seasoning adds a delicious blend of herbs
  • Add fresh parsley or basil – for the pretty pop of green and vibrant Italian flavor

How to Make this Garlic Parmesan Sauce in Just Three Steps

  1. In a large saucepan, melt butter on medium heat.
  2. Add garlic and sauté for one minute, stir in salt and pepper.
  3. Add parmesan as you remove from heat (or wait and add as you’re tossing into pasta or serving).
A silver sauce pan full of garlic parmesan sauce

Tips

  • Since there are so few ingredients, you’ll want each of them to shine. Use the best quality you can!
  • Fresh grated parmesan is everything in this recipe.
  • Fresh minced garlic cooks very quickly, watch so it doesn’t burn.
A silver sauce pan full of garlic parmesan sauce

Scaling up, down or substituting? You’ll love this printable Measurement Conversion Chart!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is garlic parmesan sauce the same as alfredo?

In this case, no! While the ingredients are very similar, alfredo is a much richer and thicker sauce, filled with egg yolk and lots of heavy whipping cream.

What’s the best sauce for dipping pizza crust?

You can dip your pizza crust in a variety of sauces! Think marinara, pomodoro, alfredo , ranch, and of course homemade garlic parmesan sauce.

Serving Suggestions

Wings in a white bowl, coated in garlic parmesan sauce

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A silver sauce pan on a marble counter, filled with pasta in a garlic parmesan sauce

How to Store

  • At Room Temperature – Keep at room temperature while using, but transfer to the refrigerator after a couple of hours.
  • Refrigerate – Store in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to a week.
  • Freeze – Do not freeze this garlic parmesan sauce.

Dietary Considerations

  • Gluten Free
  • Nut Free
  • Vegetarian

More Garlic Love

A silver sauce pan full of garlic parmesan sauce
5 from 9 votes

Garlic Parmesan Sauce

This is an incredibly simple five ingredient garlic parmesan sauce that you can add to pasta, wings, and so much more. Use it to dip your favorite pizza crust and bread, or simply drizzle it over anything where you want a burst of garlicky zest.
Prep: 3 minutes
Cook: 2 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
Servings: 6
Pin Rate Print

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • In a large saucepan, melt butter on medium heat.
  • Add garlic and sauté for one minute, stir in salt and pepper.
  • Add parmesan as you remove from heat (or wait and add as you’re tossing into pasta or serving).

Julie’s Tips

  • Since there are so few ingredients, you’ll want each of them to shine. Use the best quality you can! 
  • Fresh grated parmesan is everything in this recipe. 
  • Fresh minced garlic cooks very quickly, watch so it doesn’t burn. 

Video

Calories: 170kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 366mg | Potassium: 17mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 538IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 1mg

Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.

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14 Comments

    1. Hi Pat,
      The storage directions are in the post as follows:
      At Room Temperature – Keep at room temperature while using, but transfer to the refrigerator after a couple of hours.
      Refrigerate – Store in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to a week.
      Freeze – Do not freeze this garlic parmesan sauce.
      Enjoy!
      Julie

  1. 5 stars
    I love parmesan and garlic. Turns out this recipe is made for me. It tasted delicious, I ate it with pasta and chicken pieces, yum!

    1. See the printable recipe at the bottom of the post or simply click “jump to recipe”. Enjoy.

  2. Do you not post reviews for this recipe? I see how many stars but I do not see where people wrote about their experience with this recipe.

    1. Yes, I received and responded to your email as well. We do not require readers to comment to leave a rating. Some do, others prefer to simply select their rating. However, we do not approve ratings when the reader did not make the recipe and rate based on whether or not comments are required.