What to make with garlic and olive oil
Garlic and olive oil is the smallest viable dinner. Three ingredients (with pasta), 10 minutes, and you've made one of Italy's most loved dishes. Built by a working chef.
Four ways to cook garlic and olive oil tonight
- Aglio e olio (garlic oil pasta). Bloom sliced garlic in olive oil with chili flakes until just blond, toss with spaghetti and parsley.
- Garlic confit. Slow-poach whole garlic cloves in olive oil at 220°F for 90 minutes — keep in the fridge as instant flavor for everything.
- Garlic-oil shrimp (gambas al ajillo). Sear shrimp in garlic-infused olive oil with chili and smoked paprika, finish with parsley and lemon.
- Garlic bread, the right way. Mash roasted garlic into softened butter with olive oil, slather on a split baguette, broil 4 minutes.
The one thing chefs do that home cooks skip
never let garlic go past 'pale gold' in oil — once it browns it goes acrid and the whole dish tastes off. Pull the pan off heat early.
If you've also got…
Add one of these and the dish levels up: lemon, fresh herbs, parmigiano, anchovy paste, chili crisp, soy sauce, butter, or a fried egg. The chef behind NowCook keeps every one of those in the kitchen for exactly this kind of pivot.
Let NowCook build the recipe.
Tell NowCook you have garlic and olive oil. Add a few pantry staples. It builds a step-by-step recipe in 12 seconds — with substitutions for whatever you're missing. $9/month or $72/year ($6/mo effective, save $36/yr). 14-day free trial. No credit card required.
See pricing & start free →Frequently asked questions
- Can NowCook build a recipe just from garlic and olive oil?
- Yes. Type in any two or more ingredients you have on hand and NowCook builds a real recipe — with substitutions if you're missing common pantry items like salt, oil, or garlic. 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
- What if I only have garlic and olive oil and nothing else?
- NowCook works with whatever's in your kitchen. The recipe will assume basic pantry staples (salt, pepper, oil, a fat, an acid) — if those aren't on hand, the app will note it and adjust.
- Does NowCook handle dietary restrictions?
- Yes. Set your diet once (gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, low-carb, high-protein, dairy-free) and every recipe respects it.
- How much does NowCook cost?
- $9 per month or $72 per year (a $36 yearly savings — works out to $6 effective per month). 14-day free trial. No credit card required to start.
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