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.
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.
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.
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.
Angel Hair Pasta Video
