Angel Hair Pasta with Garlic Sauce

Ingredients needed

This angel hair pasta recipe is made with 8 simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Pasta. We love to use a thin spaghetti, like angel hair noodles, as our pasta of choice for this dish, but really any type of pasta will work.
• Olive oil. For cooking the garlic and tomatoes and dressing the pasta. I recommend using a high quality olive oil for this recipe. 
• Garlic. A must in any pasta dish!
• Cherry tomatoes. Use cherry or grape tomatoes for juicy bursts of freshness in every bite.
• Salt + pepper. Brings out all of the delicious flavor!
• Sugar. A pinch of sugar balances the overall taste of the dish.
• Basil. Finishes this pasta with that special something!
• Parmesan cheese. I love to use freshly grated parmesan cheese! You can find the highest quality blocks of parmesan cheese in the speciality cheese area in most grocery stores. If you’d like this recipe to be vegan-friendly, Violife makes a great parmesan cheese, or try my recipe for vegan parmesan cheese.

How to make this recipe

Angel hair pasta with garlic sauce is quick and easy to whip up! Here’s the simple method, but for printable instructions, reference the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

1. Pasta. Prepare and cook the pasta according to package directions and until al dente.
2. Cook garlic + tomatoes. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Then add in the tomatoes, salt, pepper and sugar. Mix to combine and toss often and cook until the tomatoes begin to burst, about 6 minutes. 
3. Combine ingredients. Stir in the cooked pasta and basil and cook for 5 additional minutes and until the pasta is heated through.
4. Serve. Garnish with parmesan, basil ribbons and additional pepper to taste. ENJOY!

Tips for best results

Here’s a few top tips to follow when making any spaghetti or pasta recipe.

• Make sure to use a good quality extra virgin olive oil in this recipe. It’s really gives this dish so much flavor!
• It is important to cook your pasta to al dente. Overcooked pasta is not good, especially in this recipe where the pasta is the star of the show. Using thinner pasta, it will cook quicker! 
• Always make sure to salt your pasta water. This flavors the whole dish.
• Rinse your noodles in cold water after they are done cooking to make sure they don’t stick together.

Customize this dish

This pasta recipe is delicious as-is, but feel free to change things up to customize it to your family’s preferences and what you have available.

• Make it gluten free. Simply use a gluten free pasta of choice.
• Make it vegan. Use a vegan parmesan cheese or a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast instead, or just omit the cheese.
• Add protein. Feel free to toss the pasta with cooked, diced tofu, chicken breast or shredded rotisserie chicken or cooked shrimp.
• Add veggies. I think sliced sautéed mushrooms, capers and/or chopped artichokes would also be super tasty.

Storing leftovers

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. No need to reheat! Give it a good stir and serve it cold and garnish it with some extra basil. If you’d like to reheat it, simply pop it in the microwave for 30 second intervals until warm.

The next time you’re on the hunt for a summery pasta dish, I hope you’ll give this angel hair pasta with garlic sauce a try! Both adults and kids love it. It’s an easy, quick stovetop dish that’s tasty and versatile!

As usual, PLEASE let me know if you make this recipe and how you like it! You can come back here and leave a comment or tag me on instagram (@foodwithfeeling).