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
This olive oil and garlic pasta (or aglio e olio as it’s known in Italy) is my go-to dinner when I’m on my own. All it takes is a few simple ingredients and about 15 minutes to pull it together! This recipe serves one, but you can easily scale it up if you want a few more servings.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 2 ounces (about 1/8 of box) 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.
Nutrition
- Calories: 472
- Sugar: 1.9g
- Sodium: 494.1mg
- Fat: 23.6g
- Saturated Fat: 7.8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12.6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 44.7g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 20.4g
- Cholesterol: 24.1mg
The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.
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,
I love this recipe but I’m curious about other oils macadamia, avacodo and sesame the last time I replaced olive oil with another it did not taste very good so I’m hesitant to try. has anyone else tried this recipe with other oils?
I made it with canola oil
It tastes good to me 🙂
I often have a hard time deciding what to do for dinner or lunch and this was such a delicious and easy fix!
instead of garlic clove, can garlic powder be used ? seems no garlic in store where I live.
Yes, you can use garlic powder – just add it to the oil while you’re heating it up.
hank you, how much powder should I use ?
thank you, how much powder should I use ?
Hi – if you are using garlic powder I would start with 1/8 to 1/4 of a teaspoon for one clove of garlic.
It’s delicious but it’s even better if you add more garlic and add chicken and Alfredo sauce.
I accidentally added a little to much oil, but otherwise this was delicious and I am definitely making this again, I am also going to maybe add chicken just to add something extra. Thanks so much April!! 😍
Glad you liked it! Thank you for the rating, too 🙂
My mouth is watering already. Sounds so yummy
Can i use dry parsley?
Yes, but I would add it when you warm up the oil and garlic.
really yummy pasta 10/10 would eat again
😁👍
Can I use vegetable oil instead of olive oil.
You can but it will taste different – the olive oil is much better.
I used a little more olive oil, fresh parsley that I had dried, dried Italian seasoning, oregano, and a little grated lemon rind. The cheese that I had used is called Rawmesan which is a cheese substitute that tends to absorb liquid. I had added about 6 tablespoons of pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time, but once it was done it had made a wonderfully delicious creamy sauce! Will definitely make it again!
Made this tonight used part olive oil and part roasted garlic olive oil since I’m not a fan of small pieces of garlic. Turned out AMAZING! Added a side of parmesan chicken breast perfect compliment to this pasta!
The only thing I did differently was to add a diced shallot which I browned inoil before adding garlic. It was yummy and I nice break from tomato base sauce.
Love that you use shallot – I bet it was delicious!
Absolutely delicious and so easy to make. Tastes like it was from a restaurant.
I added an extra clove of garlic as well as red chili pepper flakes.
Quick easy and tasty recipie
I don’t think you can use too much garlic or parsley or grated parmesan for this dish.
As for the portion size, I have to assume you are petite with a small appetite. Double the recipe and it makes a nice size side dish for a hungry man. A side dish, okay?
The Easy Pasta with Olive Oil & Garlic recipe is a simple yet satisfying dish that’s perfect for solo dining occasions. This recipe highlights the beauty of simplicity, relying on just a handful of high-quality ingredients to create a delicious and comforting meal. Overall, This recipe is a fantastic choice for anyone looking for a delicious and fuss-free meal for one. Its simplicity, versatility, and delicious flavors make it a go-to option for solo dining occasions when you want something easy, satisfying, and comforting.