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
- ½ 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
- ¼ cup pitted olives, halved
- ¼ 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
Can you use sundries tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes?
Sure! I think that would be delicious!
Fabulous and easy! Served with Grilled Chicken Souvlaki (recipe from this site) and Mediterranean Chopped Salad. I used 100% whole wheat spaghetti noodles. Oh so good!
Thanks, Judy! So glad you enjoyed the recipes!!
This was delish! I loved the flavore and it was easy! Yum!!
Yay! So glad, Kimberly
I had more tomatoes from my garden that I could eat or give away! I needed recipes for my tomatoes and I found this pasta recipe. It is so easy to make and absolutely delicious! It would be great cold as a pasta salad too! This recipe is a keeper!
Thanks, Amy!
I made this for my daughter and me and we both loved it! It was very simple and flavorful!! I did increase the amount of veggies a little and added some fresh spinach as well. This will be a staple in our house going forward!
Thanks for sharing, Retha!
One of the best Mediterranean dishes I've ever made and I am the queen of Mediterranean! The dish was so simple but had a variety of flavors. I included every ingredient (and their measurements), sprinkled some parmesan crumbles over the top to finish, and served it with hot, bake-at-home bread. NAILED IT. I'm glad there were leftovers because I couldn't stop thinking about having another serving with a green salad for lunch the next day.
So glad you loved it, Amy!
I can't wait to make this! Can you tell me what the name and model is of the hot plate you are using in the video, it's the perfect size for your cast iron skillet.
Awesome! Enjoy. Here is the link to the hot plate: https://amzn.to/3gAwD3T (affiliate)
Thank you so much!
Love this, will definitely make it again.
Living in the modern metric world battle a bit with the lb. and oz.!
So glad you loved it, Maria!
Hi Suzy, I love so many of your recipes, and generally your approach to food and cooking altogether, so a big Thank You to you! I made this recipe a couple days ago. (I added zucchini for extra vegetable.) I just want to share my mistake so our friends don't repeat it 😉 I was lazy and bought a pre-crumbled feta cheese which resulted in a less than perfect meal. To anyone reading the comments, please buy a GOOD QUALITY block of feta cheese and crumble it yourself. This is an excellent healthy recipe and I'll be making it again.
Thanks for the tip, Susi!
Hi! Is this recipe ok as leftover overs? I only cook for 2 in my household but would love to make a big batch and have some the next day!
Best,
Christina
Sure, Christina! This recipe will keep well refrigerated in a tight lid container for a couple of nights.
I am new to the Mediterranean diet. This looks delicuous, I can't wait to try it with our family. Thank you!
Welcome to The Mediterranean Dish!
Welcome Jennifer! I love love love this sight! The recipes are spot on. I love reading the comments for new ideas. You can’t beat the flavors plus a Mediterranean diet is healthy and bursting with flavor. You will definitely enjoy this site! And Suzy!
Excellent! I love the fresh, simple flavors. My husband, who "doesn't like Mediterranean," loves this dish!
Yay! Thanks, Emily!
Hello. What kind of feta cheese and brand do you recommend? Thank you.
Hi Mary, I honestly don't have a specific brand I use currently
My whole family loves this recipe, which is huge! We added some pancetta the second time around and it was a yummy addition. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Awesome, Stef! Thanks so much for sharing.
Suzy, since I had chemo, no food has tasted good to me ( except sweets, of course) and then I found you and your recipes. Everything I have tried is so good and healthy. I need to gain weight, not lose weight. Do you have any tips on this issue.
Judy, this comment made my day! I am so happy that you are enjoying the recipes here. Blessings on your journey to complete health.
This dish was amazing, and so easy to make! The fresh basil really tops it off, as well as all the fresh ingredients. I had some leftover, and even after being in the fridge a few days it was still very good warm back up. I highly recommend this dish, and we'll be making it again!
Thank you, Ambee! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Suzy,
It was so good my sister can’t stop eating it.
We love it! We will make it again for a farewell party soon. Thanks sharing.
So glad!