Dinner for One: Easy Pasta with Olive Oil & Garlic
This easy pasta recipe is my go-to dinner when there’s no time to cook. In Italy, it’s called pasta aglio e olio, which means pasta with olive oil and garlic. A few simple ingredients like spaghetti, olive oil, garlic, and Parmesan are all you need!
Olive oil and garlic pasta is the perfect solution on nights when the bright lights of a fast-food chain beckon. It’s a super-easy pasta recipe that takes no time at all to make.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- ground black pepper
If you don’t love super garlic-y pasta, you may want to cut the garlic amount in half (or if you really love garlic, chop up an extra clove!).
In the time it takes to boil the spaghetti, this easy pasta dish is ready to go. It’s so fast and easy!
How to Make Pasta with Olive Oil and Garlic
☑️ Cook the Spaghetti
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the spaghetti. Cook it according to the package instructions, about 8 to 10 minutes.
☑️ Saute
While the pasta cooks, warm the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook it until lightly golden and softened. It won’t take long, so keep an eye on it and lower the heat if needed if the garlic is browning too fast.
If the garlic is golden and soft, but the pasta is not cooked yet, take the skillet off the heat until the spaghetti is ready.
☑️ Toss
Reserve a tablespoon or so of the starchy pasta water before you drain the pasta. Transfer the drained pasta to the skillet with the garlic oil. Over medium-low heat, toss the pasta with the oil and pasta water.
☑️ Garnish
Add the parsley and Parmesan cheese and toss again before serving the pasta.
Variations
Part of the appeal of this olive oil and garlic pasta is that it’s very simple and so delicious! That said, there are ways to dress it up:
- If you like a little heat, add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes when adding garlic to the oil.
- When you add the hot spaghetti to the skillet, add a little lemon zest. It will give it a pop of brightness.
- Switch up the herbs – add dried herbs like oregano, rosemary, or Italian seasoning when you heat the oil (1/4 of a teaspoon should be plenty!). Or, add some fresh herbs like basil or thyme before serving it.
- Add a protein like cooked chicken or shrimp to make it more filling.
- Serve it with crusty bread and a fresh green salad for a complete meal.
Easy Pasta with Olive Oil and Garlic
Ingredients
- 2 ounces spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
- fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Toss in the spaghetti and cook until al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, warm the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft and golden (you may need to lower the heat to prevent it from browning too fast).
- Once the spaghetti is cooked, drain it while reserving about one tablespoon of the starchy pasta water. Add the spaghetti to the pan with the oil and garlic. Toss the pasta around until it’s coated (this is where you can add the starchy pasta water to keep the pasta moist if it looks too dry).
- Add in the parsley, grated cheese, and a few pinches of black pepper and toss before serving.
Video
Nutrition Estimate
More Easy Dinner Ideas
I hope you love this easy dinner for one as much as I do! This pasta with olive oil and garlic is one of my all-time favorite easy pasta recipes ❤
Happy cooking,
Mmm garlic… no worries if you are home alone or not!
Aw, that’s nice 🙂
Mmmmmm…. this looks delicious AND easy. SCORE! I can see myself making this, too, and I wouldn’t care about smelling like garlic. Plus, it’s so healthy to get a good dose of garlic in the system!
Hope you’re enjoying your weekend–stopping in from SITS Sharefest 🙂
Thanks for stopping by! I agree — there are some great health benefits with garlic, so I guess that makes this recipe healthy? 🙂
Now that is my kind of food!!
Thanks Jamie!
I keep a bag of frozen shrimp on hand so when I make pasta for one, i throw some of the shrimp in. It is my go to protein.
That’s such a great idea, Donna!
MMMMMmmmmm….. making this right now. Can’t wait!
Exciting! I hope you liked it 🙂
Sounds great. I’m gonna have to try this soon! Thanks for posting!
I made this for my boyfriend, he’s on a low sodium diet since he has high blood pressure… I Literally found this recipe a few minutes before making this for his lunch… I’m glad I was able to find all the ingredients in my kitchen.. I didnt add salt to the pasta while its boiling (for his health reasons) and I added very little Parmesan. But I took your tip and added grated lemon zest. This dish was simple yet delicious and full of flavor thanks to all the fresh ingredients…
Jazmin – thanks for letting me know! I’m so glad he enjoyed it – thanks for including the adjustments you made. I’m sure other readers will appreciate the tips 🙂
Love, love, love this recipe!!! It’s so perfect! I left out the cheese because I have EE & lactose intolerance but it was still A+! I will definitely be making this again.
Only one clove of garlic? 🙂 It would taste so much better with 2-3 in my opinion.
Depends on personal taste – let me know if you try it! 🙂
I haven’t tried it yet but I will soon I want to become a really good cook 👩🍳 btw I’m an 11 year old but I can bake,and cook🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
I didn’t have Parmesan, fresh parsley, or lemon zest, but I added a few flakes of red pepper to the garlic while it was cooking and some chopped kalamata olives at the very end. Delish.
Love the changes you made!
I use more olive oil in pan, retain half of the water from spaghetti, cut up a cup or two of grape tomatoes that get thrown in with garlic and covered till soft, then I throw the garlic pool with tomato concoction right in with the spaghetti. Served on a plate so the parmesan cheese doesn’t get weird from too much heat and it’s delicious.
April, it looks perfect and tasty! Can’t wait to have this anytime of the day, love it!
Made it for myself tonight!
Fantastic!
Yummy.
Can’t wait to make it again!
OMG. I don’t know if I was just really hungry or what but this was sooooo good. I couldn’t stop eating it!!! I literally had to tell myself, “just one more bite and you have to be done”. Love this….maybe a little TOO MUCH!
Yay! So happy you liked it 🙂