Garlic Spaghetti

Super easy and budget friendly, this Garlic Spaghetti is a great weeknight meal that can be made from pantry staples. Serve it up with a side of bread and vegetables and dinner is done!

Love a good spaghetti dinner? You can also try this Baked Spaghetti or Easy Spaghetti Meat Sauce.

I’m always looking for more meat free recipes, and this one is one of my favorites!

This is a super simple garlic pasta recipe that can be made from pantry staples. The only ingredient I don’t always have on hand is the basil, unless it’s summer and I’ve got some growing. But all of the other ingredients are easy to keep on hand.

So not only is this easy, but it’s a great recipe to have on hand for those nights when you haven’t planned on what to make for dinner!

Ingredients

Garlic: Since this is garlic spaghetti, using fresh garlic is very important. I would even say to use freshly minced garlic cloves instead of pre-minced garlic.

Olive Oil: You’re going to cook the garlic in the oil low and slow, and olive oil will give you the best flavor.

Butter: You’ll also need butter for the sauce. I use unsalted butter, then add in salt to flavor.

Tomatoes: This recipe calls for 2 cups of crushed tomatoes. I have only ever been able to find crushed tomatoes in a 28-oz can, so you will have some left over. If you don’t like the leftovers, you can use a 15 oz can of diced tomatoes. I have done this before, and think it is delicious, as well.

Salt & Pepper: Season to taste with the salt and pepper.

Pasta: I always use spaghetti noodles, but really, you could switch this up and use another pasta.

Basil: Fresh basil will really bring in some great flavor and freshness. If you don’t have fresh basil, you can mix in about a tablespoon of dried basil.

Parmesan: I like to top mine with some freshly grated parmesan.

How to Make Garlic Spaghetti

1: Start by cooking your pasta according to the package directions. Once cooked, drain and set aside.

2: While the pasta is cooking, make your sauce. Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet and add the garlic. Turn the temperature down as low as possible and let the garlic cook for about 15 minutes. Make sure to stir often, and watch the temperature, as you don’t want the garlic to burn.

3: Stir the butter into the garlic oil until it is melted, then stir in the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, then let it all simmer for about 10 minutes to let the flavors meld.

4: Stir in the chopped basil.

5: Add the cooked pasta to the sauce.

6: Toss the pasta in the sauce. I find this is easiest using a pair of tongs.

Tips and Tricks

• You’ll want to make sure the garlic and oil aren’t cooking too hot.  My regular burner – even when turned onto the lowest setting – was too hot.  I had to move it to my smaller warming burner to keep the temperature low enough.
• If you find that your garlic is cooking too hot, remove the pan from the heat for a minute, then return it to the heat.
• When you drain the pasta, you can keep a mug full of the pasta water. Then, if you need to loosen the sauce, just add in a bit of that reserved pasta water.
• I like to add a bit of fresh basil to the top when serving. You can also add chopped fresh parsley or other fresh herbs – a little bit of freshness goes a long way!
• Add a little bit of heat by adding in some red pepper flakes when the garlic is almost done.

Storing and Making Ahead

Store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator. If I do have leftovers, I like to save some of that pasta water to use when I reheat the pasta to eat later.

This pasta will dry out a bit the longer it sits, so it’s not ideal to make ahead. If you do want to save some time, you can cook the garlic in the olive oil ahead of time, then just reheat it and jump back into the recipe when it’s time to make the final recipe.

More Delicious Pasta Recipes

Creamy Mac and Cheese
Parmesan Pasta
Skillet Lasagna
Baked Ravioli
Butternut Squash Pasta
Tuna Casserole
Lasagna Soup
Shrimp Alfredo

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Garlic Spaghetti

5 from 2 votes

Author: Deborah Harroun

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Italian

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Super easy and budget friendly, this Garlic Spaghetti is a great weeknight meal that can be made from pantry staples. Serve it up with a side of bread and vegetables and dinner is done!

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Ingredients

• ▢ 9 cloves garlic
• ▢ 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ 2 cups 16 oz crushed tomatoes
• ▢ Salt and pepper
• ▢ 1 pound spaghetti noodles
• ▢ 1/4 cup fresh basil
• ▢ Grated parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions

• Mince the garlic. Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over low heat, then add the garlic.
• Cook, stirring often, keeping the temperature very low. Cook for 15-20 minutes, being careful to not burn the garlic.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously.
• Stir in the butter until melted, then add the crushed tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, then cook on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes to let the flavors meld together.
• When the water is boiling, add the spaghetti noodles and cook until al dente. Drain.
• Once the sauce has been cooking for 10 minutes, stir in the basil. Add the drained noodles and toss to coat the pasta.
• Serve topped with parmesan cheese.

Recipe Notes:

adapted from $10 Dinners

The recipe calls for 2 cups of crushed tomatoes, but most cans of crushed tomatoes are 28 ounces, so you won’t use the whole can. You can also substitute a 15 oz can of diced tomatoes if you don’t want the leftover crushed tomatoes.

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guide. Nutrition counts do not include the parmesan cheese for serving.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/4 of recipe, Calories: 745kcal (37%), Carbohydrates: 100g (33%), Protein: 18g (36%), Fat: 32g (49%), Saturated Fat: 10g (63%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g, Cholesterol: 30mg (10%), Sodium: 114mg (5%), Fiber: 10g (42%), Sugar: 10g (11%)

Keywords: garlic pasta, garlic spaghetti, pasta recipe