Herb Pasta

Deliciously flavorful, you won’t believe how easy this herb pasta is to make! It comes together in a matter of minutes.

This recipe for fresh herb pasta is for one of those days!  You know, those days when you have no time to cook.  This herb pasta is perfect when life is crazy, everyone is going a million different directions and you need something quick and easy that the whole family will eat!

Herb Pasta is the perfect dinner for one of those days!

One of the things I love about this recipe is that it is so flexible, you can substitute different herbs depending what you may have on hand, or what is in your garden.  You can also substitute a different nut depending on your preference and what is on hand.

If you want a little protein, you can also add in some chicken or bacon.

How to Make Garlic and Herb Pasta

• Choose your pasta.  I prefer thin spaghetti but you can use whatever is your favorite, linguine works great or even a penne pasta.  Cook your pasta according to the directions on the package.  I often precook my pasta in the morning and then just store it in the fridge until I’m ready to use it.  After cooking it, drain it and run water over it to remove the starch.  I then add in a bit of olive oil and put it into a plastic zippered bag or an airtight container.  When I’m ready to use it I put it into a strainer and run warm water over it.

• Choose your herbs.  I used fresh parsley, basil, thyme and chives but you can totally use any favorite herb.

How do I substitute dried herbs for fresh herbs?

If you don’t have any fresh herbs on hand you can substitute dried herbs by using 1/3 – 1/4 the amount, instead of 1/4 cup fresh basil (which is 4 Tbsp), I would just use 1 Tbsp dried basil.

• Choose your nuts.   I really like using pine nuts in this dish but you could also use hazelnuts or walnuts.

• Toast the nuts in olive oil. Toasting the nuts really gives them amazing flavor.  Be sure and watch them closely though because it doesn’t take long for them to turn a golden brown.  Add in your fresh garlic and herbs and you’ve got your sauce for the pasta.
• Combine pasta with olive oil and herb mixture.  If your pasta seems a little dry after combining you can add some additional olive oil.  Salt and pepper to taste.
• Add cheese.  The final step is to add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Great sides to serve with Herb Pasta:

Cheesy Garlic Bread

Herb Bread 

House Salad

Herb Pasta Recipe

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5 from 2 votes

Herb Pasta

Deliciously flavorful, you won't believe how easy this herb pasta is to make! It comes together in a matter of minutes.

Course Pasta Main Dish

Cuisine Italian

Keyword herb pasta

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Author Leigh Anne Wilkes

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. pasta thin pasta, like linguine or spaghetti or any other pasta
• Salt
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp garlic minced
• 1/2-1 tsp red chili flakes optional
• 1/2 C pine nuts substitute with walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans.
• 1/4 C basil finely chopped
• 1/4 C parsley finely chopped
• 1 sprig Thyme
• 2 tbsp chives chopped
• 1/2 C Parmesan cheese fresh, grated

Instructions

• Cook pasta according to package directions.
  
• Heat oil in a skillet.  Once hot, add nuts.  Brown the nuts, stirring frequently.
• Once the nuts start to toast and become fragrant (about 1-2 minutes), turn down the heat to medium low and stir in chilies, garlic, and a large pinch of salt.
• Let the garlic sizzle a bit, stirring occasionally, until it turns golden (about 2 minutes). Add in the herb mixture.
• The herb mixture may absorb all the oil.  If it does, add a little more oil or pasta water when you toss it with the pasta.
  
• Add drained pasta to the garlic herb mixture and toss.  Taste and adjust the seasoning, toss with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 141mg | Potassium: 184mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 421IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 1mg

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Originally posted June 25, 2009