My easy garlic Parmesan angel hair pasta recipe is rich, buttery, and the ultimate dinner for any garlic lover! Sauteed garlic in a creamy Parmesan sauce coats delicate angel hair pasta and makes a rich comfort food your whole family will enjoy!
Garlic & Parmesan Pasta
Nothing gets my family running to the dinner table like the smell of garlic butter and Parmesan cheese. Sometimes, simplicity is best.
With only a handful of ingredients, all designed to enhance or complement the creamy garlic, their quality makes a big difference. If you can get your hands on fresh garlic and a good aged Parmesan, you’ll be well on your way to a delightful meal!
Rich and creamy garlic sauce mixed with angel hair pasta will be your new go-to recipe for an easy dinner or side dish!
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Chicken broth enriches the pasta as each noodle absorbs the liquid. Also, adding milk – and I like to use whole milk to make an irresistibly creamy sauce!
❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
Quick Side Dish! You’ll have this tasty pasta side dish on the table in just 20 minutes!
Kid-approved! Garlic, butter, and Parmesan is a winning combo for most kids!
It's versatile! Serve this with anything you want! It tastes good with everything.
🥘 Ingredients
These are fairly common ingredients to have around the house. Nothing out of the ordinary is needed here!
- 2 tablespoons Butter - Salted or unsalted will work. Just adjust the additional salt accordingly.
- 2 teaspoons Garlic - Minced garlic sauteed in butter gives this dish its signature flavor.
- 1 ½ cups Chicken Broth - Cooking your pasta in something more than plain water is a small change that makes a huge difference!
- 1 cup Milk - Milk adds an irresistible creaminess without the heaviness of a fattier cream.
- 8 ounces Angel Hair Pasta - Any noodles are great, but I love the texture of angel hair.
- ¼ teaspoon each, Salt & Pepper - These two spices enhance the flavor of just about everything they’re put in.
- ⅓ cup Parmesan Cheese - Grab a block of good, aged Parmesan Reggiano, and grate or shave this fresh for the recipe.
- 1 tablespoon Parsley (optional) - Chop up parsley to use as a colorful garnish!
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for ingredients, amounts & instructions!*
🔪 Instructions
With just 3 steps, this is an easy recipe to follow. You’ll need a large stockpot, measuring cups, and a grater set for best results.
- Saute the garlic. To begin, pull out a large, deep skillet or a small stockpot. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter until melted. Then, add 2 teaspoons of garlic. Stir occasionally and saute until fragrant. It shouldn’t take much longer than a minute.
- Add the liquid. When the garlic is ready, pour in 1 ½ cups chicken broth, 1 cup milk, 8 ounces angel hair pasta, and ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything together. The liquid should completely cover the pasta. Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
- Cook the pasta. Finally, simmer for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the pasta is the desired consistency. Remove from the heat and toss with ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese until melted.
- Serve. Garnish with some fresh chopped parsley and serve immediately.
This dish is great as a side or as a main course with garlic bread, garlic butter shrimp, or asparagus. Garnish with fresh parsley and a sprinkle of extra pepper to add a pop of color. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Amp up the garlic! If you love garlic as much as I do, go wild! Spoon in up to 1 tablespoon of garlic in step 1.
- If your sauce is too thick, add milk or broth. To thin out your sauce, try pouring in some milk or chicken broth a little at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.
- For a more filling main dish, slice a marinated chicken breast on top. There are many tasty chicken marinade options on my blog, but I would suggest the following versions: pesto, Italian, lemon pepper, or lemon rosemary. All of those flavors would be perfectly combined with garlic and Parmesan. They only take about 5 minutes to prepare, but meat should be marinated for at least 4 hours. To speed things along, try making it the night before and marinating overnight.
- To add some spice, sprinkle in some hot pepper flakes. This recipe combines classic flavors. If you want to put a spin on it, add some pepper flakes. Start with half a teaspoon and go up from there. Toss them in while you’re sauteing the garlic in order to release the oils and flavor the whole dish.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Usually, cooked pasta can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. Unfortunately, with this delicate angel hair, your window is reduced to a day or two. After that, it won’t reheat well.
So, pack it up in an airtight container or cover the serving dish with aluminum foil.
If you want to keep your leftovers longer, you can stick the same airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
For best results, cook your pasta al dente initially, and it will be less likely to be mushy upon reheating.
Reheating Garlic Parmesan Angel Hair Pasta
The best way to reheat leftovers is to thaw them overnight in the fridge. Then, transfer them to a pot or skillet and heat over low heat until it’s the desired temperature.
You can also put leftovers in a shallow, covered baking dish and cook at 350℉ (175℃) for around 20 minutes.
🍝 More Easy Pasta Dishes!
- Spaghetti Bolognese
- Buttered Noodles
- Shrimp Pasta With Lemon Garlic Sauce
- Teriyaki Noodles
- Creamy Beef And Shells
- White Cheddar Mac And Cheese
❓ Recipe FAQs
In short, yes. Kind of. Parmigiano-Reggiano has a protected designation of origin, or a PDO (DOC in Italian). In other words, there is a specific geographical region that official regulating bodies recognize as producing certain foods related to that location. And yes, there are rules they have to follow.
Consider this: Champagne is sparkling wine, but only sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France can be called Champagne.
Yes. It’s also known as capellini. Traditionally, capellini is used with light sauces instead of, for example, a Bolognese. They are finer, more delicate noodles paired with sauces that reflect that. Sage butter, lemon garlic butter, spicy olive oil, and the like are all commonly used.
They’re also great in soups. If you haven’t experimented with this noodle, try out some new recipes! And don’t worry too much about what sauce to use. Italians are typically pickier about what pasta shape belongs to which type of sauce than Americans. It all tastes good.
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📖 Recipe Card
Garlic Parmesan Angel Hair Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 teaspoon garlic (minced)
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
- 8 oz angel hair pasta
- ¼ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated or shaved)
- 1 tablespoon parsley (optional garnish, chopped)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Bring a large, deep skillet or small stock pot to medium-high heat with the butter. Once the butter is melted add the garlic and saute until fragrant, stirring occasionally for about 1 minute.
- Stir in the chicken broth, milk, angel hair pasta, salt, and pepper until the pasta is softened and completely covered with liquid. Bring to a boil then reduce your heat to low and simmer.
- Simmer on low, stirring occasionally, for approximately 4-6 minutes or until your pasta is cooked fully. Remove from heat and stir in the grated Parmesan cheese until fully melted.
- Serve immediately garnished with fresh, chopped parsley if desired.
Notes
- If you LOVE garlic, you can use up to 1 tablespoon of minced garlic in this pasta dish.
- To thin your sauce (if needed) simply drizzle some milk or broth into the pot of pasta until you reach your desired consistency.
- Cooked pasta stores for up to 3-5 days in the refrigerator, but this tender pasta does not reheat well after a day or two in the fridge.
Michelle says
This was a hit at our house tonight as a side dish! But I forgot the parm…probably for the best though since two of my girls have a slight intolerance to lactose. Used lactose free milk so no tummy aches tonight. Quick, easy and cheap! Thanks.
Nagwa says
I love this recipe so much, thank you Angela ❤️