I dare say, this simple Mediterranean olive oil pasta is textbook Mediterranean diet deliciousness! It skips all the fluff and heavy sauces in favor of extra virgin olive oil and a few ingredients.
This simple olive oil pasta recipe takes inspiration from the popular Naples dish called spaghetti aglio e olio, which translates to spaghetti with garlic and oil.
In a typical spaghetti aglio e olio recipe, pasta is coated in a simple garlic-olive oil sauce, then garnished with parsley and, sometimes, grated Parmesan.
But this Mediterranean olive oil pasta goes just a little bit further, by adding a few favorite ingredients like grape tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts, feta and olives.
A couple of tips for this olive oil pasta
First, this dish makes a feature of extra virgin olive oil and relies heavily on its flavor. The oil is briefly heated through, but not cooked. That’s why, you’ll want to use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can afford.
Remember, oils that are simply labeled “pure” have usually been heat-treated and refined by mechanical means and, consequently, lack character and flavor.
Early Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil
For this recipe, I always use our Greek Early Harvest extra virgin olive oil. It is organically grown and processed from native Koroneiki olives, which are hand-picked early in the season while still green, and processed within ours to make this prized ‘liquid gold’ they call ‘agoureleo.’
Our Early Harvest oil is an exquisite cold extracted and unfiltered oil with a perfectly balanced complexity— rich green, fruity and pungent with a peppery finish. Our oil features exceptionally high levels of polyphenols and low acidity of less than 0.35%.
Read more about our Early Harvest oil here! It makes a ton of difference in dishes like this Mediterranean olive oil pasta.
Secondly, when making the sauce, do not allow the garlic to brown, it will taint its flavor. If it does brown or burn, you’ll need to toss it and start over.
Of course, if you’re in the mood for something saucy, be sure to check out my homemade spaghetti sauce recipe!
Watch How to Make this Simple Olive Oil Pasta
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Simple Mediterranean Olive Oil Pasta
- Total Time: 19 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Description
Simple, tasty olive oil pasta loaded with Mediterranean flavors.
Ingredients
- 1 lb thin spaghetti
- 1/2 cup Early Harvest Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or Private Reserve Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- Salt
- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 12 oz grape tomatoes, halved
- 3 scallions (green onions), top trimmed, both whites and greens chopped
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 6 oz marinated artichoke hearts, drained
- 1/4 cup pitted olives, halved
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, more if you like
- 10–15 fresh basil leaves, torn
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Crushed red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- Follow package instructions to cook thin spaghetti pasta to al dente (mine took 6 minutes to cook in plenty of boiling water with salt and olive oil).
- When pasta is almost cooked, heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Lower the heat and add garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook for 10 seconds, stirring regularly. Stir in the parsley, tomatoes and chopped scallions. Cook over low heat until just warmed through, about 30 seconds or so.
- When the pasta is ready, remove from heat, drain cooking water and return to its cooking pot. Pour the warmed olive oil sauce in and toss to coat thoroughly. Add black pepper and toss again to coat.
- Add the remaining ingredients and toss one more time. Serve immediately in pasta bowls, and if you like, top each with more basil leaves and feta. Enjoy!
Notes
Recommended for this recipe Our Early Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 9 mins
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Other Recipes to Try
Blackened Chicken and Spaghetti Dinner
I made this tonight and my husband and I loved it. He doesn’t like a strong garlic flavor so I went easy on the garlic. I served it with red chard cooked down with onions and balsamic vinegar. It really complimented the spaghetti!
So glad to hear it! Thank you for sharing!
Quick. Easy. Delicious.
That’s the goal, CJ! Thanks so much!
Ahmazing deliciousness! Restaurant quality! This is good for me?!? Yum!
Awesome, Nikki! So glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent and the flavors pop. Easy and quick to prep and make. I did shrimp to please hubby and it was a big thumbs up from him.
My husband and I love this!
That’s awesome, Mary! Thanks for your feedback!
Amazing! Just fixed this and WOW the flavors are wonderful-my belly is smiling and house smells wonderful Definitely a keeper here in Kansas
So glad to hear it, Chris! Thank you for the kind comment and the recipe rating!
Hi! This sounds delish! Do you think it would be good the day after or the next? I’m wondering if this can be a prepped meal for my work week:)
Hi Nathalie! Sure, we’ve made this and had the leftovers the next day. It works!
I have been making this for years, without the artichokes. I will definitely try that next time. Everyone loves this recipe, easy, healthy and delicious!
Awesome, Donna! Thanks so much for sharing!
Love this! Just made it for lunch and it’s delicious and easy. I will be trying it with shrimp or chicken next. Thank you!
Awesome, Denise! Shrimp or chicken would be a great addition here! Thanks for sharing!
Suzy, I made this last night hosting a dinner party for 4. I added shrimp, and the juice and zest of a lemon….RAVE REVIEWS!!! Please keep sending us these great recipes.
John, thank you so much for your kind note! Shrimp is a great addition to this recipe. I am so glad to hear everyone enjoyed it.
OMG! This recipe is so simple yet taste like something from a 5 star restaurant. Everyone in my family loved it, which included 4 generations. It will now be a regular at our house.
Lisa, thanks so much for taking the time to share! My family requests this recipe on a regular basis, and I’m happy to do it because, as you said, it is so simple. So glad to hear everyone on your end loved it too!
This looks absolutely wonderful!! I plan to make this for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I was wondering if it is served room temp, or hot. I noticed that the feta was melted, so I assumed it was served room temp or slightly warm.
Hi Kathy! I like it served warm, but it works also to serve at room temperature. Enjoy!
Is there a specific type of olives that you recommend for this dish?
I like Kalamata olives here, but any olives you like would work! Enjoy!
Made this tonight and it was awesome. My boyfriend loved it. Subbed shallots instead of scallions and paired it with chicken breast AMD a side of cooked beets. Will definitely be making this again!
Awesome, Jessi!I’m so glad to hear it!
Glad I found this website, Thank-you
Welcome to TMD, Kimberly! Enjoy!
Made this last night. It was quite easy, and very flavorful. I added some shallots and chicken, and am looking forward to taking it to work as lunch! I think we will be trying some shrimp recipes next.
Brian, that’s wonderful! Glad you enjoyed it! And thanks for sharing your additions!