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Close-up of a creamy pasta dish featuring rigatoni and spaghetti mixed with green herbs and chicken pieces, perfect for Pasta Recipes in 10 Minutes.

Pasta Recipes in 10 Minutes: Weeknight Winner

This recipe provides a quick pasta dish suitable for busy weeknights. It focuses on speed and simple ingredients.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Dinner, Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta
  • 12 ounces Spaghetti or linguine
Sauce Base
  • 1/4 cup Olive oil Extra virgin
  • 4 cloves Garlic Minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon Red pepper flakes Adjust to taste
  • 1/4 cup Reserved pasta water
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese Freshly grated, plus more for serving
  • 2 tablespoons Fresh parsley Chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Salt Or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper Freshly ground

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Colander

Method
 

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. This should take about 8-10 minutes.
  2. While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant. Do not let the garlic brown.
  3. Before draining the pasta, reserve about 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water. Drain the pasta using a colander.
  4. Add the drained pasta directly to the skillet with the garlic oil mixture. Toss to coat.
  5. Pour in about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss continuously until a light sauce forms that coats the pasta. Add more water if the sauce seems too dry.
  6. Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, salt, and pepper. Toss well to combine.
  7. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan cheese on top.

Notes

If you prefer a richer sauce, you can add a tablespoon of butter along with the pasta water in step 4.

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