This easy pasta recipe is my go-to dinner when there’s no time to cook. In Italy, it’s known as 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!
Confession: When I find myself alone for dinner I often make bad choices. Sometimes it’s pizza, sometimes it’s fast-food procured from a drive-through window. And, yes, sometimes it’s ice cream.
In an attempt to thwart this bad behavior I’ve been thinking about easy dinners that can stand-up to the junk food cravings that seem to hit when I am left to my own devices for dinner.
Olive oil and garlic pasta is the perfect solution on nights when the bright lights of a fast-food chain beckons. It’s a super easy pasta recipe that takes no time at all to make, which means I have plenty of time to spend my evening alone catching up on Real Housewives of New Jersey important current events.
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!) – Remember, I enjoyed this while I was home alone for a week. I didn’t care if I reeked of garlic. Do whatever makes you happy because that’s what a dinner for one is all about, right?
How to Make Pasta with Olive Oil & Garlic
In the time it takes to boil the spaghetti you can have this easy pasta dish for one ready to go. It’s so fast and easy!
- First, warm the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Cook the garlic in the oil until it’s lightly golden and softened. It doesn’t take long so keep an eye on it and lower the heat if it’s browning too fast.
- Reserve a tablespoon of the starchy pasta water before you drain the pasta.
- Add the cooked spaghetti, along with the tablespoon of starchy pasta water, to the skillet and toss it with the garlic oil.
- Add the chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese, toss it all again and serve!
Other Ways to Dress it Up
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 so here are some ideas:
- If you like a little heat add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes when you add the garlic to the oil.
- Add a little lemon zest when you add the hot spaghetti to the skillet. It will give it a pop of brightness.
- Switch up the herbs – add dried herbs like oregano, rosemary or Italian seasoning when you heat up the oil (1/4 of a teaspoon should be plenty!). Or, add some different fresh herbs like basil or thyme right before you serve it.
- Add a protein like cooked chicken or shrimp to make it more filling.
- Serve it with crusty bread and a fresh green salad on the side for a complete meal.
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 ❤ Here are a few more easy pasta recipes for one that I love to make, too!
Happy cooking!
Pasta with Olive Oil & Garlic (Aglio e Olio)
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 in the garlic and let it cook until soft and golden (you may need to lower the heat to keep it from browning too fast).
- Once the spaghetti is cooked drain it while reserving about 1 tablespoons 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 in the starchy pasta water to keep the pasta moist if it looks too dry).
- Add in the parsley and grated cheese, toss to combine and serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- 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
Keywords: pasta with olive oil and garlic, Aglio e Olio, easy pasta recipe
Drew458 says
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?
Vicky says
Quick easy and tasty recipie
★★★★★
Dana says
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.
★★★★★
Melodye says
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.
April Anderson says
Love that you use shallot – I bet it was delicious!
Joy Ciesla says
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!
★★★★★
Sue says
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!
★★★★★
Rosemary white says
Can I use vegetable oil instead of olive oil.
April Anderson says
You can but it will taste different – the olive oil is much better.
Kimberly Uriostegui says
really yummy pasta 10/10 would eat again
😁👍
★★★★★
Irma says
Can i use dry parsley?
April Anderson says
Yes, but I would add it when you warm up the oil and garlic.
Matisse says
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!! 😍
★★★★★
April Anderson says
Glad you liked it! Thank you for the rating, too 🙂
Cathy Walsh says
My mouth is watering already. Sounds so yummy
★★★★★
Krista Miller says
It’s delicious but it’s even better if you add more garlic and add chicken and Alfredo sauce.
★★★★★
Bill Landry says
thank you, how much powder should I use ?
April Anderson says
Hi – if you are using garlic powder I would start with 1/8 to 1/4 of a teaspoon for one clove of garlic.
Bill Landry says
instead of garlic clove, can garlic powder be used ? seems no garlic in store where I live.
April Anderson says
Yes, you can use garlic powder – just add it to the oil while you’re heating it up.
Bill Landry says
hank you, how much powder should I use ?
Leigha says
I often have a hard time deciding what to do for dinner or lunch and this was such a delicious and easy fix!
★★★★
kevin says
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?
Fatimah says
I made it with canola oil
It tastes good to me 🙂