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Little Stars with Butter and Parmesan

When I was very young, this was my staple dinner; it’s an Italian child’s comfort food, our version of mac and cheese. It’s really easy to make and the ingredients are very simple, which is part of its charm. Serve it to the child in your life, or as a side dish with any kind of roast meat or poultry.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 (1/2-cup) servings

Ingredients

1 cup (6 ounces) stelline (star-shaped pasta) or other small pasta shapes such as alphabets or riso
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
Salt

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often to prevent the pasta from sticking together, about 8 minutes. Drain.

    Step 2

    In a large bowl, toss the freshly cooked hot pasta with 2 tablespoons of the cheese until the cheese coats the pasta completely. Add the butter and the remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese. Toss again to coat. Season to taste with salt. Spoon the pasta into small serving bowls and serve immediately.

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