Pasta with herbs, delicious sauteed garlic, and plenty of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Chop the garlic so that some is minced and some is larger pieces. You can substitute 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning blend for the fresh herbs.

Garlic Pasta

(16 ounce) package dry penne pasta

garlic,

olive oil

basil

oregano

parsley

red pepper

Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.


In a skillet, saute garlic in oil on low heat, just hot enough to make the garlic sizzle; about 10 to 15 minutes.  Season with basil, oregano, parsley, and crushed red pepper, and remove from heat.


In a large bowl, toss cooked pasta with garlic and herb mixture, and let sit for 3 to 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with Parmesan, and serve.


This is a classic Italian side dish with much room for improvisation and versatility. Add more or less garlic to suit your tastes, but I would strongly advise against sauteing it for 10-15 minutes as the recipe directs. Browning the garlic is a risk that should definitely be avoided as it turns unpleasantly bitter. Just saute it for about 30 seconds to a minute, depending on the heat you're using, until fragrant. I also reduced the crushed red pepper significantly--it's presence should be subtle. Use herbs alone or in combination--no need to measure, just add to suit your taste. As with any cooked pasta, reserve some of the cooking water to add to the pasta if necessary as it sits. 

I have read a few reviews, and have noticed that quite a few people have said that the amount of herbage was simply overwhelming.  And I can't help but wonder if they used dried herbs, rather than fresh.
I used fresh herbs in the amounts recomended, and found myself eating a very fresh, very beautiful bowl of pasta.  I did serve mine with additional grated parmesan on the side, and found that everyone used more, so perhaps the cheese could have been doubled.  Given that the cheese is the only source of salt in this recipe, that may be the reason why we used so much extra cheese.  Perhaps a sprinkling of salt would have cured that...
Having said all that, I find myself making this often when I have a need for a good flavour, but little time.
Final note: one other adjustment I made was to add a bit of lemon juice.  Again, I served wedges at the table, and left each to their own. Some used it, some did not.  I have tried it both ways, and it really depends on my mood, and how rich the other dishes I served alongside it.  With other rich dishes, the lemon is a must.  With light dishes on the side, I found it excessive.

I made a few mistakes with this recipe that I wanted to share.  First, I was paranoid about burning the garlic (which tastes horrible) and ended up undercooking it.  Raw garlic is just too overpowering for most dishes... Find a happy medium.  Second, I didn't have any parmesan cheese on hand, so I left it out.  As a result, the dish needed salt to substitute for the cheese.  I also made a large batch and planned to use it for pasta salad as lunch.  Because the sauce is oil based, it does not absorb well in the refrigerator.  The pasta tends to dry up a little.  I suggest cooking a little past al dente or adding a little broth.  I'm vegetarian and have experimented with vegetable broths unsucessfully.  You meat eaters enjoy the chicken broth which works nicely with it.  I had some pine nuts on hand and they made a nice addition.  Just add them to the sauteing garlic with about 5 mins to go.  I also found that the sauce needed a Tbsp or so of butter to add to the flavor of the rather bland olive oil.  Fake margarine spreads works particularly well since they have more concentrated artificial "butter flavor".  Also, make sure your skillet is large enough for the amount of pasta you make.  Also better buy some breath mints while you still have friends. :)

When I make this I place my colander with broccoli over the pasta pot and steam it for the last 5 minutes.  delish.  serve fresh grated parmesan and garlic bread.

Awesome Recipe.  Very easy to make and very tasty!
Thanks for sharing Greg!

This was good.  I added the juice of one lemon.  Next time I will cut the amount of Italian seasoning back though.  I really thought it was too strong and killed the other flavors.  My 17 month old liked it and ate two helpings.  I ate mine with just a salad and my daughter had fruit and green beans.  But if you feel the need for meat with your dinner I think it would go well with some Italian sausage that was sliced and browned.  Last thing, make sure you use real Parmesean cheese, don't use the stuff in a can.

I added some extra spice to it, like fresh Lime and a little bit of seasoned salt.  I enjoyed it very much.

Excellent recipe to which I also added shrimp in with the garlic as it was sauteing, however, ten to fifteen minutes is way too long to cook garlic. The whole family went nuts over this Greg and thank you!

A wonderfully simple recipe.  I used whole wheat penne and reduced the crushed red pepper a lot (I used maybe 1/2 tsp.).  I used dried herbs, reducing the amounts since dried herb flavor is more intense than fresh.  This made a great side dish and I will most likely make it again!

WAY too much red pepper! I would cut it down to a teaspoon. Also, use FRESH herbs. I used dried, and it just did not taste the same.

I thought it was a bit bland, however, the oil mixture is the perfect dip for crusty bread!

This was very good.  I made a few changes - added 4 tbsp butter and fresh steamed broccoli, omitted the parsley since I didn't have any on hand, and used dried oregano and 3 tbsp jar garlic instead of fresh since that's what I had on hand.  It was great and all the kids and adults in our household loved it.  Will definitely make again.

The original submission calls for fresh herbs, and we published it with dried Italian seasoning blend. We apologize for any inconvenience, and have changed the recipe to more accurately reflect the submission. These changes should appear later today.

One of the families favorites so far.  I added 6 cubed chicken breasts cooked with the garlic and spices.

Good though I might go lighter on the red pepper next time.  It was nice and light and a good flavorful change from the regular.  Will definitely make again.

Tried this tonight for something other than red sauced pasta.  Both my picky husband and picky 9yo son cleaned their plates.  I paired it with grilled shrimp skewers and garlic bread.  Great!

My mom and I make this recipe ALL THE TIME now. We first made it when my friend and his gf were coming over for dinner, to make something easy but more interesting than plain pasta with tomato sauce. My mom also made it as a main dish at my baby shower. One thing I must say though is that the basil is really a key ingredient, giving that "pesto" taste. b/c one time we had no basil and it just wasn't the same.

Very good, not too rich like my usual pasta/alfredo dishes!  I ommited the red pepper, and used both olive oil &amp; butter, sauteed the garlic first.  Served with steamed broccoli.

I followed the recipe almost exactly. The only thing I did differently was add less than half of the crushed red pepper. This pasta was really good BUT next time I will not add any red pepper at all. It threw off the other flavors and gave it much too spice even though I added so little.

I used dried ingredients so I scaled it down to about 1/2 a tsp and used 8oz of noodles.  This was GREAT to serve along with our grilled shrimp. My boyfriend and I love spicey, but the red pepper has to be cut back for the little ones.

This is great.  I added fresh tomatoes and feta cheese since I didn't have parmesean.  Lots of pepper and a little salt and YUMMY!

No one really liked this dish. It was truly lacking in flavor. There was a lot left over so I plan to add more herbs (dried this time) and give it another go.

AMAZING.  However, I would use half of the red pepper this calls for.  Also, for a little extra flavor I added a few squirts of italian dressing. YUM!

I found this DeBoles angel hair pasta made from jerusalem artichoke flour which was a new kind of pasta for me. I needed something simple to dress it up a little so this was my simple but tasty choice. I did cut down the EVOO to just a couple tablespoons or so and used dry seasonings so I cut those back to a 1/2 tsp. each and the parmesan down to a couple tablespoons. (I'm trying to watch my fats/calories so that much was just too much for me. It's no reflection on the recipe's taste factor or rateability.) This went really well with the Unbelievable Chicken, which is also from this site. NOTE: Half of a recipe was more enough for all of us for dinner plus a little paired with the chicken for my husband's lunch tomorrow. More than enough.

This was a good foundation, but I added different herbs to my taste likings.

This recipe makes an absolutely delicious meal. I generally like to have meat for dinner, so I have done both shrimp slow cooked in a garlic mixture and mixed with the pasta, or chicken mixed with the pasta. Both options I have loved. Great meal!

Has a bit of a kick with the red pepper seeds

Very good recipe tha really lets the few ingregients shine!!

Too much crushed red pepper! It has a good taste to it, but you can't hardly taste the flavor of the rest of the spices due to how much red pepper is in it. Cut the red pepper in half or even by 3/4, and it might be the perfect dish. but it was quick and easy to make. i also used whole wheat pasta to make it even more healthy. :-)

Not super great, but good and very easy.  Used bowtie pasta, used dried herbs - 1tsp for every TBL.  Added 3 T butter to the oil to cook garlic in.  DO NOT brown garlic, but sautee for a few minutes.  Reduce red pepper to less than 1/2 tsp or omit alltogether.  Add 2 c steamed broccoli.

Delicious! I make pasta with garlic &amp; oil all the time, and this is so very versatile. I do add some butter to the garlic and oil mixture, about 3 tablespoons. I also heat the mix over low heat for about 15 minutes, do not brown the garlic, just let it heat and steep in the oil. You could easily adjust the pepper and herbs to taste, this is such a wonderful, yet delicious dish that never seems to fail. Sometimes I like to add some steamed broccoli at the last minute, which is wonderful also. Thanks for sharing :)

This was perfect served with Tilapia Scamp from this site. I used parsley, oregano and italian seasonings with the red pepper flakes. I used a combo of butter and olive oil. I was out of penne pasta so I used corkscrew(my favorite!!)

absolutely delicious even though I had to substitute dried basil and oregano for fresh. I'm sure it would have been even better had I had the fresh herbs. I suggest being careful when cooking the garlic, it does so rather quickly and u don't want the taste of burnt garlic to ruin the entire dish. I added baby bella mushrooms(sauteed with garlic) and spinach which I added towards the end just to wilt.

I love garlic, but this is super garlicy.  Only eat this if you will not be talking to someone else for a solid 24 hours because garlic breath doesn't begin to describe what you will have.

My husband loved it!  He thought it was restaurant quality.  A keeper!

Reduced chili flakes to 1 tsp. Added 2 tbsp butter to garlic herb mixture. Added quarter cup of pasta water to bowl as pasta sat for 5 minutes. Used dried oregano 1tsp. Served with extra parmesan cheese at table.

It was good, but I found that it had quite a lot of bite to it. I don't know if it was all the garlic or spices. Also I think another type of pasta would be better. With penne all the spices get clogged  in the inside of the pasta.

I also added about one 8 oz bag of tyson grilled chicken to the garlic and seasoning mix while I was cooking it to make it a little bit of a more heartier main dish.

Super easy and very good.  Makes a quick lunch!  I used dried herbs and upped the garlic.  I didn't measure anything, just sort of dumped it in and mix.  Definitely use fresh parmesan!

Nice simple and garlicky...which was great for us!  be sure to add some salt and pepper.  The amount of red pepper flakes was perfect for us as well.  Thanks!

I made this last night and it was delicious!  I baked the head of garlic so it wasn't bitter at all.  Just add it to oil with the rest of the ingredients, add a little pasta water and you're good to go.

This was good.  I served it along with Grilled Marinated Shrimp, also from this site, and together they made for a delicious dinner.  I used thin spaghetti, rather than penne and cut the crushed red pepper back a bit, but other than that, I made this as written.  I made this ahead of time and reheated it in the microwave adding a tablespoon or 2 of pasta cooking water that I had reserved, because it looked a little dry.  My fresh herbs seemed to want to stick to the side of the bowl more so than to the pasta, but other than that, no problems.  Thanks!

I thought this was a good recipe.  I actually added some chopped onion and a can of tomato sauce.  I also added some salt to the dish once I added the pasta to the sauce, and sprinkled some red pepper instead of using the full tablespoon.

We loved it!  Mu hubby is hard to please so I am happy to have another recipe in my arsenal that he likes.  I used quinoa noodles to make it even healthier!

This was very delicious and looked fancy enough to have at a party.  I added some shrimp to it, used italian seasoning instead of the fresh spices, and only added a tsp of red peppers.  Still, it was quite spicy.  I'll only add a half a tsp next time around.  There will definitely be a next time though--this was so tasty and quick to boot!  Great recipe!

I loved it, I did add a little more on flavoring.  For dinner I served it somewhat warm but I had it cold for lunch and it was still great. 

I took away one star because as written the recipe calls for too much crushed red pepper.  My family likes hot but I'd recommend starting with 1 tsp rather than one T.  Otherwise it is a nice recipe, quick, light and fresh.  Thanks!

I liked it. Too much parsly for me though, next time I will use maybe a tablespoon or even less. The red pepper gives it a nice kick. Thanks!

I thought this was pretty good but still needed something so I added a tablespoon or so of fresh lemon juice.  After taking the first bite, the flavor of the garlic and fresh herbs begged for shrimp.  So, I grilled about a 1/2 lb of medium shrimp and added it to the pasta.  Delicious!  I also used fettucini instead of penne.

I made up this dish adding a tablespoon of butter and found that it was excellent! I cooked it up as a side, more like joint, dish with some boiled shrimp on New Year's eve. It was excellent! Thank you for the recipe!

VERY GOOD!  I didn't have all the ingredients so I did it the easy way.  I used minced garlic and dried basil, oregeno, and parsley, and extra red pepper (love spicy)!  I also did add a tablespoon of margerine as suggested by another reviewer!  Very good and simple.  Will make it again and again!

Yummy. I made it exactly as stated and it was out of this world!Thanks for sharing!

Oustanding flavor for such a simple recipe. I only added about 1 tsp of red pepper and it was hot so I couldnt imagine a whole tablespoon! I would like to try it with some chicken or sausage too.

First of all, my thanks to 'Greg' for submitting this delicious gem! I made this for the first time yesterday morning and it is scrumptious. I doubled the recipe, then substituted fettuccine for the penne. I also used only one (1) tablespoon of the crushed red pepper! Such a powerful spice! I took the entire huge bowl down to the Waffle House staff that I've come to know and they all loved it! One suggestion was to either add meatballs, grilled chicken, or shrimp...so I'm contemplating those possibilities, too. All in all, just a SUPER recipe and sure crowd favorite!!

Sorry .. I am not sure where I went wrong with this recipe but it was not edible. The huge amount of Italian seasoning was just too much and I only used 1/2 teaspoon of pepper instead of the tablespoon it called for and it was still very hot. And I usually love garlic and all sorts of spices. 
Hubby said it tasted like a "spice factory". 
Sorry but I won't make this again.

Very good. I used all dried herbs instead of fresh because that's all I had. I didn't really measure anything, I just eyeballed it. I also added salt because it needed it and some butter like other reviewers suggested and of course more cheese than called for. Served it with Parmesan Chicken. Went very well together.

I used  a small palm full of spices, 1/2 the red pepper and parm. It would have been better if I wasn't so chicken with the red pepper. My fault, I'll try it again.

I did not have fresh herbs, but this was great anyway.

This pasta was amazing. Me, a person who can barely cook microwave mac n cheese, prepared this for my family out of the blue. it turned out excellent, and everyone loved it.

I made this for one serving instead of 8 and used everything except the red pepper and only did a pinch of oregano. I loved it except for I overdid the Parmesan and it was very very dry i had to add olive oil to it after it was done. I dont know how weird this is but it tasted better when i added salt

I suggest using half the oil.  Very spicy (hot hot hot).

While this was good (I had to add salt, which is rare for me), it would be ideal as a side dish rather than the main course. I had all ingredients on hand and needed something quick and easy (no time to run to the store). It tastes exactly as you imagine it would. If I make it again, I think I will pair it with a nice steak or possibly salmon.

Light and flavorful -- worked well for everyone in our family, including the vegetarian.

Very underwhelmed with this recipe. It is a good thought but alterations are needed and then it would not be the same recipe

I must have done something horribly wrong. I adjusted my recipe to serve 5 and it was awful. The italian seasoning was too over powering and I didn't even taste the garlic. I ended up adding a jar of spaghetti sauce. It helped a little, but the over powering taste of the italian seasonings was still there. I gave it two stars because it was a quick meal fix.

My husband and I totally love this recipe! Although instead of using parmesan cheese, we add bacon for the salt and it's so great.

I used cheese tortellini and added about half a stick of margarine--YUMMY!!

This was easy and so delicious! I didn't change anything on the recipe and it turned out great.

I am giving this 4 stars only because I truly feel the Italian Seasoning amount is way off.  I doubled the pasta (1 lb) and used only 1 tsp seasoning and same amount everything else.  I was a little dry, but very tasty with the chicken piccata I made.  I just drizzled some of that sauce on the pasta too.

Didn't use oregano and doubled the amount of basil. I, also, added broccoli. This dish was simple and delicious!

I altered this recipe greatly, but wow!  I used dried herbs-all I had in the house.  I also used whole wheat egg noodles, adding a package of frozen chopped broccoli when the pasta was almost done.  I took another reviewers advice and added some butter to the sauce, adding more garlic at the same time.  To the cooked pasta mixture I added some cooked salmon which I had used the same herbs on-baking the salmon until it was well done with some olive oil and the herbs.  Definitely will make again!

Yum!  I have been making this for a few years now.  We are spicy people and 1 tablespoon of crushed red pepper flakes is too much for us.

I really did not like this recipe.  I think it uses too much oil and it is not specific enough about the oil temp.  Don't mince garlic for this recipe, apparently it sticks together then burns.  My oil was quite hot and it almost instantly cooked, then burned my garlic.  I ended up having to added a can of diced tomatoes undrained, and about a cup of sliced marinated mushrooms; in addition to using about 2 cups of Parmesan cheese.  I will definately not be making this dish again.  (Oddly enough, though, my picky 3 yr old gobbled it down.)

Used parsley and broccoli with garlic cloves as a side sauce to go on top and a parmesan roasted sauce (: came out very good

This was really good but I felt like it was missing something...Still don't know what. Calamata olives on the side, maybe? I used 1/3c oil and that was enough; more and it would have been too runny. 
Anyway, AWESOME.

I tried this recipe as is and I felt as if the only thing I tasted was oil and pepper.

This easy recipe did not disappoint.  We have 2 meat eaters, a vegetarian and 2 vegans in our house.  This was a great meal that accommodated all of us.  I added: 1/2 chopped onion, one chopped green pepper, one chopped red pepper and 2 Cups sliced mushrooms to the pasta mixture.  Then I grilled some chicken and put it and the cheese on the side.  Everybody loved it.  The 8 serving recipe fed 5 of us well - no left overs.  Next time I will cut the suggested amount of crushed red peppers in half.

i made this recipe once and im getting ready to make it again,i sauteeed the garlic in garlic oil and also this time im going to sautee some cut up chicken in with the garlic and garlic oil.and i even added a dash of garlic salt.seeing that my husband loves garlic.

I absolutely love this recipe!!It is so easy to make. Sometimes I switch the Italian seasoning for parsley, but other than that I follow the recipe to a tee. Thanks for the great meal!

This was very good!  I cut the recipe down since it was for just 2 of us adults.  I also skipped the red pepper because we have a little one.  I used the recipe recommendation and just used Italian seasoning for the different herbs.  The only thing it needed was salt.

This was amazing, I used bowtie pasta and omitted the oregano (They were out at the store). The crunchy garlic with the soft noodles made this a family hit! Will definatly make again!

My husband loved the dish! I did add less garlic. (To our tasting) It was simple, full of favor and easy to make. Great dish.

Very good and easy.  I used the dry herbs and topped it with sliced chicken breast.  My family enjoyed it and I'll be making it again very soon.

Thanks for the killer recipe.  Felt like a Macaroni Grill special.  Added some shrimp and sundried tomatoes and we couldn't stop eating it.

very good-my 3 year old had 3 helpings!!!

This is a favorite side dish for many meals.  It is extremely easy.  I never have all the fresh ingredients so I use the dried herbs except for the garlic (I always have some fresh).  Could be laziness but after the pasta is finished I put the rest of the ingredients in the pot and give it a big stir until everything is mixed.  So simple and it adds a nice spice to dinner.

Way too much herbs called for. I would cut it down to a teaspoon each not a tablespoon.

Like a lot of others I thought I screwed up the recipe.  Way too much Italian seasoning.  The flavor was bad along with the texture which was similar to sawdust.  I was so looking foward to the garlic, but somewhere along the line it disappeared.  No garlic flavor at all.

It would have tasted better if I used fresh ingredients like it said. But I used dried and it makes a huge difference.

Way way too much olive oil. My pasta was swimming in it.

This tasted ok after an important addition- SALT!  This recipe makes no mention of it and it's just awful without it.  I followed it exactly (salted water included) and served to my husband.  He took the first bite and by the look on his face I knew it was not good.  We doctored it as much as we could but I doubt I'll be making this again. 

I added shrimp to the garlic, oil and seasonings in skillet. Let garlic sauté for only 1-2 mins on med. I added the seasoning pinch by pinch to my liking and salt. Went light on red pepper. Used shaved Parmesan cheese on top.

This was good but I would cut the red pepper in half. It was overwhelmingly spicey for my boyfriend and I-and he loves spice. It was in fact, too spicey for us to eat that day so we had to wait till the next day!

So Simple, yet so very good....no fresh oregano on hand..omitted.  Also added a tablespoon of butter to the olive oil/garlic. Yum.

This pasta was really good and easy. It was a bit too spicy for my kids though, so next time I may cut back on the red pepper just a bit. I found that I didnt need the whole 1/4 cup of Italian Seasoning - half of that was enough. I only used about 1/4 cup of olive oil.  Definatley important to use fresh grated parmesan (not the powdery kind in the can).

garlic pasta

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

Servings: 8

Cost: $4.19 /serving

Author : Allrecipes Member

Ingredients

Instructions

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