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
So yummy ! The olive oil w/garlic & salt in pan makes the tastiest sauce !
This dish was so tasty! I used edamame noodles to up the protein content and it was delicious! I have acid reflux so I am always looking for pasta dishes without tomato sauce and this one was a favorite, definitely making this again!
Okay, whoa. I was worried about this one lacking flavor and just being kinda meh. No. My husband had three servings, my daughters had two, and I had to make more for myself, LOL. Bursting with flavor, easy and quick to make, and delicious. One of the girls said, “this is my new favorite pasta!” Incredible, TMD team.
Ha! Surprise! Tons of flavor in this one. So glad you loved it!!
Looks like most of the comments they prepared this to eat warm.
I would like to make it into a spaghetti salad for potluck.
Can I prepare the day before and refrigerate to eat cold?
Hi, Lisa! We’ve had other readers serve this cold with good results, so it sounds like it definitely worth a try!
Thank you for the quick response. Do I mince the garlic and add it raw?
Hi, Lisa. For this recipe, you actually want to just crush the garlic while it’s raw and cook it in the olive oil on low heat before adding the other ingredients.
Made this tonight. So good! Subbed sliced yellow peppers for the artichokes because that was in my fridge
Served with pan fried fresh caught Florida Whiting
It was a delicious sunny day meal
We all loved this, including my 16 year old picky son! I used Whole wheat thin spaghetti. Added a little extra salt and parmesan too. It’s so good!
Yay! We love winning over the picky eaters :).
Haven’t tried this yet but it looks awesome and judging by the comments it is. Looking forward to more.
Hope you give this one a try, Sherry! It’s a huge fan favorite!
Followed the recipe & this is so good!! My husband & I had leftovers twice & it was better each time. Trying to eat more Mediterranean foods & this one filled the bill.
As with all you recipes that I absolutely love, this one is just as delicious. Thank you so much.
However, one issue I’m currently experiencing is the printing format of any recipe. When I click to exclude the “Notes” portion, that section, as well as the Nutrition section continue to appear in the pre-printing layout. Please would you have your IT crowd check into this. Thank so very much
Suzy,
OMG was this ever good and so easy to make. I had supper on the table in 40 min. The flavors are amazing and as this was my first time making this I stuck to your recipe. I would not change a thing. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
Hi Diane, Devin here from the Mediterranean Dish team. So happy to hear you loved this dish! Thank you for sharing :).
Can we use green olives? I’m not a fan of Kalamata olives 🫒
Absolutely, Laura. Enjoy!
If not a fan of artichoke, what can be substituted?
Hi, Laurel. You can simply omit it here or add another vegetable that you enjoy. This recipe is very forgiving, so don’t be afraid to experiment a bit!
Love the recipe. Best ever mediterrean dishes
Wow! Thank you so much, Bertha!
I made spaghetti from scratch…. So, so, so good recipe!!!!
Fresh spaghetti! Mmmm! I bet that was amazing!!!!
I love all your recipes! This simple pasta is fabulous! I found the recipe 4 months ago and have made it at least 8 times already. My husband who previously didn’t like pasta dishes like this, loves it. He is a meat person and only likes pastas with bolognese…until now!
I recently switched to a Mediterranean Diet and avoid anything that is GMO’d. All of my 40 year GI symptoms have resolved. Thank you for contributing to my improved health! I am incredibly grateful.
Oh, wonderful, Lorna!!
Simple and tasty! A great way to showcase beautiful fresh cherry tomatoes!