For me, a good meal has always been about family and friends—everyone getting together, enjoying each other’s company, and some really nourishing food. When I was growing up, my family got together every Sunday at the very least—once you start to factor in holidays and special occasions, you can only guess how much time we spent together! I remember everybody sitting around the dinner table, talking—aunts, uncles, cousins, friends—there were usually at least 15 people, even on a slow day. Whether it was just cake and coffee or if the family matriarchs were making a full-on Sunday pasta dinner, it was all about getting together, catching up, and seeing how everybody was doing.

I love making new memories just like these with my own family and friends, and my family absolutely adores parmesan cheese! We’ve always got some on hand. Of course, we always have butter, too, which makes this simple parmesan butter sauce recipe easy, even in a pinch. You can drizzle this cheesy sauce on top of fish, pasta, toasted bread, or my favorite: My Italian Stuffed Artichokes Recipe with Cheri Oteri.