I say this three ingredient easy cheesy pasta is for kids, but it’s very tasty so perfectly suitable for adults too. The pasta has a rich cheese sauce made directly in the saucepan you have cooked your pasta in, meaning less washing up … always a bonus in my house.
Jump to RecipeWhat are the three ingredients?
Well, obviously pasta and cheese are two of them – I won’t be able to make an easy cheesy pasta without those! But the third is butter (butter happens to be Ioan’s most favourite thing in the world).
How easy?
Cook your pasta according to the pack instructions. Drain your pasta but immediately chuck it back into the same saucepan it was cooked in, so the cooking water does not completely drain. Stir in a big knob of butter. Stir in a handful of grated cheese. Voila: your three ingredient easy cheesy pasta is ready.
What pasta should you use?
I have a lot of pasta in my cupboard. Even pre-lockdown, when pasta panic buying was unheard of, I had multiple bags of pasta in my cupboard. With this recipe, you can use any pasta shape to make your easy cheesy pasta. I usually let Ioan choose which shape he wants, which also motivates him to eat his dinner. I have some cute toy shaped pasta which Ioan really likes right now.
Fancier options
Although this is devoured by Ioan with gusto, and really does taste yummy, if you would prefer something a little more sophisticated (but actually not that different!) try this Cacio e Pepe (cheese and pepper pasta).

Three ingredient easy cheesy pasta
Ingredients
- 50 g Pasta shape of your choice
- 1 knob butter
- 30 g grated cheese
Instructions
- Cook your pasta according to the packet instructions
- While the pasta is cooking grate your cheese (I like red leicester for a mild but tasty cheese, and Ioan loves the colour)
- When the pasta is cooked, drain it in a colander but throw it straight back into the saucepan before all the water has drained, and put it back on the heat
- Stir in a knob of butter until melted
- Stir in the grated cheese until melted
- Serve immediately
Other pasta dishes
If this simple pasta dish doesn’t appeal, try one of these other delicious pasta recipes:
I’m surprised that there have been no comments about this gem of a recipe. I needed a simple recipe and stumbled upon this one during my internet search. It was so very simple, yet delicious. Thanks for sharing it with us!
That’s so kind of you to say – am really pleased you found my recipe and enjoyed it – it’s also still a regular favourite of ours!