Aglio e Olio with Herbed Breadcrumbs

Who doesn’t love a heaping plate of garlicky, lemony, cheesy pasta? This Aglio e Olio with Herbed Breadcrumbs is a fantastic easy, flavorful dinner – perfect for anything from a mundane weeknight to a date night at home with a loved one.

Aglio e Olio is a traditional Italian pasta dish from Naples, typically made with spaghetti, sautéed olive oil, and parmesan. It’s a simple, yet refined dish. Our version is a bit fancier with the addition of crispy herbed Panko breadcrumbs. They add a delicious savory crunch and an herby twist to this otherwise classic recipe.

The secret ingredient(s)? Green Garden™️ Freeze Dried Herbs! We love using freeze dried herbs in place of fresh herbs in recipes like this easy pasta. For one, it’s much more cost effective. Have you ever purchased a bunch of fresh herbs and only used a few leaves for a recipe? Yep, just about every week in our kitchen. With freeze dried herbs, you get the same high quality, fresh flavor without wasting anything. Plus, they stay fresh for much longer!

To add some flavor to the savory breadcrumbs, we used Green Garden Freeze Dried Basil and Thyme. We also used their Freeze Dried Garlic in place of regular garlic. So much easier to use – no messy peels!

The breadcrumbs get toasted to perfection in a skillet with olive oil, the freeze dried herbs and salt. Be sure to keep an eye on them and stir frequently. They burn very easily! It’s best to use Panko breadcrumbs, which are super crispy and light, but if you can’t find any, regular breadcrumbs will do. The best part about this pasta? It’s incredibly easy to make. Even if you don’t cook often, this is the type of recipe you can easily throw together in 20 minutes and impress just about any dinner guest. Bon Appétit!

This delicious pasta dish is lemony, herby, garlicky and topped with crunchy, savory breadcrumbs. It’s perfect for a date night at home or just about any other weeknight dinner and can be ready in about 15 minutes! Topped with plenty of freshly grated parmesan and breadcrumbs.

Aglio e Olio with Herbed Breadcrumbs

Ingredients

1 lb. Spaghetti or Fettuccine, fresh or dried
1 tsp. Olive Oil
3/4 c. Panko Breadcrumbs
3 tsp. Green Garden™ Freeze Dried Garlic
2 tsp. Green Garden™ Freeze Dried Basil
1 tsp. Green Garden™ Freeze Dried Thyme
1/4 tsp. Salt
2 tbsp. Unsalted Vegan Butter
1/2 Lemon, juiced and zested
Hot Pepper Flakes, to taste, optional
Fresh Parsley, chopped
1/3 c. Vegan Parmesan Cheese, grated

Products you'll need

Non-GMO Garlic

Organic Basil

Organic Thyme

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the past, and cook about a minute less than the package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat with the olive oil. Add the breadcrumbs, just 1 tsp freeze-dried garlic, basil, thyme and salt. Cook, stirring, until the breadcrumbs are golden, about 4 minutes. Remove the breadcrumbs to a bowl.
When the pasta is almost done, return the large skillet to medium heat with the butter. When melted, add the remaining 2 tsp freeze-dried garlic and toast, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the butter and toss to coat in the sauce. Add the lemon juice, zest, hot pepper flakes if using, and salt and pepper to taste. Add reserved pasta water as necessary to coat the pasta evenly in the sauce and to keep them from sticking. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and additional lemon.
Stir in some of the parsley and half of the breadcrumbs. Top the pasta with remaining parsley, remaining breadcrumbs and Parmesan to serve.