This angel hair pasta recipe is tender noodles coated in garlic, fresh herbs, olive oil, butter and parmesan cheese. Add a fresh tomato topping for a memorable side dish or lighter main course option!
When I’m looking for a hearty side dish to serve alongside meat and vegetables, I turn to homemade Rice-A-Roni, baked mac and cheese, or this simple yet totally satisfying angel hair pasta.
Pasta is typically a quick dish to make, especially angel hair pasta. It has the fastest cooking time of almost every other pasta, and it’s delicious too!
This light and delicious pasta is coated in a savory garlic and herb sauce, and goes well with chicken, beef and seafood entrees. It pairs perfectly with sirloin steak or New York strip steak or a nice chicken dish like chicken saltimbocca or chicken scallopini! You can enjoy this pasta with so many main dishes, or top it with Italian meatballs for a stand alone meal! It’s one of my all time favorite pasta dishes.
Table of Contents
Angel Hair Pasta Ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need butter, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, pasta, fresh herbs, parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper and cherry tomatoes.
How Do You Make Angel Hair Pasta?
For this recipe, melt butter in a pan along with some olive oil. Boil your pasta according to package directions. Add some garlic to the olive oil mixture, along with an assortment of fresh herbs. Place the cooked pasta in the pan of sauce, then toss to coat. Add some parmesan cheese to the mixture, then top with diced tomatoes and serve.
Tips For The Perfect Pasta
- Take care not to overcook your pasta! It’s really easy to cook it for too long, and you’ll end up with a mushy texture.
- You can use any fresh herbs you like in this dish. Some of my favorites include parsley, dill, basil, chives, oregano or thyme. I find that this dish tastes best with a combination of herb varieties.
- No fresh herbs on hand? Add 1 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning instead.
- I recommend serving this dish immediately. Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can reheat leftovers in the microwave.
- You can make this dish vegan by using 1/4 cup olive oil instead of a mix of oil and butter, and omit the cheese.
Quick Tip
Freshly grated parmesan cheese tastes best in this recipe. The tubs of pre-grated cheese often contain stabilizers and anti caking agents and they don’t taste as good or melt as well.
Flavor Variations
This recipe is delicious as-is, but you can add other ingredients to customize it to your tastes.
- Protein: Add some protein to make it a main course such as grilled chicken breast, garlic butter shrimp, grilled flank steak or stir in some white beans.
- Flavorings: You can mix in some kalamata olives, sun dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes, pine nuts or cooked crumbled bacon.
- Vegetables: Add some veggies such as broccoli, spinach, artichoke hearts, sautéed mushrooms, roasted asparagus, bell peppers, red onions or grilled zucchini.
- Pasta: No angel hair on hand? Try another variety of pasta such as orzo, small shells or farfalle.
- Cheese: Feel free to stir in some extra cheese such as mozzarella or fontina.
Recipe FAQs
Angel hair pasta is a thin, fine pasta with long strands. It’s best used for delicate sauces such as light tomato or cream sauces. It’s often served in simple preparations, and can be substituted for spaghetti in some dishes. I typically serve this pasta as a side dish to complement a heartier main course.
Angel hair pasta is also known as capellini pasta.
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Once you taste this pasta, you’ll find yourself making it on a regular basis! It’s quick, versatile and goes well with so many different types of meat and seafood.
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Angel Hair Pasta Video
Love This Recipe?
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Angel Hair Pasta with Garlic and Herbs
Ingredients
- 8 ounces angel hair pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons garlic
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, chives, dill and/or basil
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- additional chopped herbs for garnish optional
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions.
- Place the butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- After the butter has melted, stir in the garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Drain the pasta and add it to the pan. Add the herbs and parmesan cheese to the pan, along with salt and pepper to taste, then toss to coat the pasta.
- Top with tomatoes. Sprinkle with additional herbs for garnish if desired, then serve.
Notes
- Take care not to overcook your pasta! It’s really easy to cook it for too long, and you’ll end up with a mushy texture.
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese tastes best in this recipe. The tubs of pre-grated cheese often contain stabilizers and anti caking agents and they don’t taste as good or melt as well.
So simple and tasty! We love this pasta for weeknights when things are chaotic but we still want something feelgood.
The flavours in this were incredible. Really easy to make as well. 10/10.
This recipe hit the spot. It was easy to prepare and so tasty. Such a delicious dinner!
Angel hair pasta is my favorite! Love this recipe – it’s quick and easy, and the herbs make it taste so light and fresh.
great idea to add all the herbs! So easy and tasty