A quick and easy Angel Hair Pasta recipe with fresh garlic, herbs, and grated Parmesan Cheese. This pasta comes together in less than fifteen minutes and goes well with grilled salmon, roasted chicken, grilled steak, and roasted pork.
Top the thin strands with chopped fresh herbs and freshly grated Parmesan Cheese for the best flavor. This is one of our favorite side dishes.
Try this easy angel hair pasta recipe that will have dinner on the table in no time. With simple ingredients and step-by-step instructions, you’ll have a tasty meal ready in minutes.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Pasta: Angel hair, capellini, spaghetti, thin spaghetti, penne, campanelle, macaroni, and rotini.
- Butter: Unsalted or salted
- Fresh herbs: Use fresh basil, parsley, thyme, and rosemary. Remember, though, that some herbs are better used dried, like oregano and marjoram.
- Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan cheese is worth every penny. It has a better texture, tastes better, and melts better than pre-grated Parmesan. Use a microplane or box grater to grate the cheese.
How to make Angel Hair Pasta with Garlic
First, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the noodles and cook according to package directions. Angel hair pasta cooks very quickly, so don’t overcook it. Be sure to drain well.
When the pasta is almost done, melt the butter and heat the olive oil in a large skillet or pan. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute and stir constantly. Add the pasta and toss to coat with the sauce.
Sprinkle the pasta with chopped fresh herbs like basil and parsley and about 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese. Then toss again to combine. Finally, season with salt, pepper, and, if desired, red pepper flakes to taste. For best results, serve promptly.
Preparation Tips and Storage
- Boil the angel hair pasta over medium heat according to package instructions until slightly al dente, which means somewhat firm to the bite.
- Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water to moisten it if it becomes too dry.
- Add crushed red pepper to taste if you like everything with a little kick.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave at reduced power.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve this pasta with a simple garden salad or arugula salad. It is also delicious paired with Italian wedding soup and French onion soup. Or keep it simple and serve it with baguettes and sweet cream butter.
Recipe Variations
- Add vegetables: fresh cherry or grape tomatoes, steamed broccoli, sauteed asparagus, or sauteed garlic mushrooms.
- Add meat: crisp cooked bacon, grilled chicken, prosciutto, or sauteed shrimp.
- Add seasonings: lemon pepper, orange pepper, Cajun or creole seasoning.
More Pasta Recipes
Angel Hair Pasta with Garlic and Parmesan
Ingredients
- 12 ounces angel hair pasta or capellini pasta
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs like basil parsley, thyme, rosemary (see notes)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
- salt and black pepper to taste
- chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Cook your pasta slightly al dente according to package directions and drain well.
- When the pasta has 2 minutes of cooking time left, melt the butter and heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Add the pasta and toss to coat with the butter and garlic.
- Sprinkle the pasta with the herbs and grated Parmesan Cheese. Toss again to combine. If the pasta becomes too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water at a time until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley. For best results, serve promptly.
Notes
- Boil the angel hair pasta over medium heat according to package instructions until slightly al dente, which means slightly firm to the bite.
- Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water to moisten it if it becomes too dry.
- Add crushed red pepper to taste if you like everything with a little kick.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave at reduced power.
Nutrition
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Neely Moldovan
we make a variation of this all the time! Whole family loves it!
Claudia
This is still a favorite comforting side dish, although we can fancy it up a notch now with the use of angel hair pasta
Alita pacio
This was one of my go-to recipes when I was in college. Im so excited to make it again with the twists
Toni
This was so good! My family loved it!
Sue
Angel hair is one of my favorite pastas too! Thanks for sharing this!! It turned out so good!
Gervin Khan
An easy and delicious pasta recipe! I made it for last night’s dinner. I love it!
Freya
The perfect simple recipe for angel hair pasta and so incredibly delicious!
Heather
My kids loved this! I can’t wait to make it again for them.
Heatherkleinwolf
Pasta doesn’t get more perfect than this! Love these flavors.
Linda
Great recipe, I also added a little lemon
Wenda
Excellent as is, and even better with a squeeze of lemon!
Melisssa
I too added a little lemon. So tasty
Catalina
This pasta is so flavorful! Pasta is always a hit in our house!
Sandra
I loved it!! So simple but full of flavor! Thanks for the recipe!
Dorothy Reinhold
I could make an entire meal out of this pasta! Can’t wait to whip up a batch! Extra parm please!
Erin
I’m drooling! This is everything I love!
Erik
Huge fan of angel hair pasta, so this was perfect for me!