Weeknight Pasta with Garlic and Herbs

This pasta is in my top 3 favorite pasta dishes. Maybe even my favorite. It is definitely my go-to when it is nearing the end of a long week with a nearly empty fridge. It only uses 7 ingredients, many of which are pantry staples.

Use any pasta you have on hand including whole grain, gluten-free, spaghetti, shells, penne, … The total time of making this dish depends on which pasta you select. In most cases, dinner will be on the table in about 20 minutes.

Any fresh herbs you have leftover from other meals from the week will work well here. Don’t have fresh? Use dried!

The last batch I made, pictured above, uses bucatini noodles with parsley.

Although I will mention that making this with granulated garlic does not give the same impact as using fresh garlic. I won’t say you shouldn’t do it, but I personally don’t like it.

I prefer making this dish using half butter half olive oil. To make this vegan, use all olive oil and omit the parmesan cheese or use vegan parmesan cheese. To make this dish gluten-free, use any gluten-free pasta. To make this dish heartier, add a can of white beans or some precooked chicken (some grocery stores carry pretty good rotisserie chickens in their deli departments). Add a salad and you are good to go!

Set a large pot of water filled with well-salted water on the stove over high heat to bring to a boil. When it comes to a boil, add 1 pound of your favorite pasta and cook to al dente according to package directions. Reserve at least 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining (you may not need it all).

While the pasta is cooking, take about a handful of fresh herbs and finely chop them.

While the pasta is draining, add 1 – 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 – 2 tablespoons of olive oil with a couple of splashes of the reserved pasta water to the pot over medium heat. Add in 3 – 4 minced garlic cloves and a pinch or two of chili flakes. Stir constantly for about a minute or two until the garlic softens. Add more pasta water as needed.

Pour the pasta back in the pot and toss with the garlic, adding a little more pasta water as needed. Stir the herbs in (if using dried, start with one tablespoon of dried herbs and adjust from there). I usually find that the salt in the pasta water is enough for me, but feel free to add more here as needed.

Scoop into bowls, dust with fresh parmesan cheese, and enjoy!