Homemade Aglio e Olio Herb Salt

If you love simple homemade seasonings, this Aglio e Olio herb salt is one to add to your pantry.

Inspired by the classic Italian combination of garlic, olive oil, parsley, and red pepper, this flavorful seasoning gives you those same savory, garlicky flavors in an easy-to-use homemade salt blend.

It’s especially good when you want to add a quick burst of flavor to pasta, roasted vegetables, potatoes, chicken, seafood, or homemade bread.

And if you’re already making homemade herb salts, this is a fun one to add to your collection.

What Is Aglio e Olio?

Aglio e olio means “garlic and oil” in Italian and refers to the classic pasta dish spaghetti aglio e olio.

The traditional dish is wonderfully simple: garlic is gently cooked in olive oil and combined with pasta, parsley, and often red pepper flakes for a little heat.

This homemade herb salt takes inspiration from those flavors and turns them into a convenient pantry seasoning.

Ingredients

• 1 cup coarse sea salt or kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon dried garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½–1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy you like it

You can adjust the red pepper flakes to make a mild or spicy version.

Important: Use completely dried herbs and dried garlic for this recipe. Fresh garlic or fresh herbs introduce moisture and aren’t appropriate for a shelf-stable herb salt.

How to Make Aglio e Olio Herb Salt

1. Combine the ingredients

Add the coarse salt, dried parsley, dried garlic, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes to a food processor.

2. Pulse

Pulse several times until the herbs and garlic are evenly distributed throughout the salt.

You don’t need to turn the mixture into a fine powder. I like leaving some texture so you can see the herbs and pepper flakes in the finished seasoning.

3. Check for moisture

Spread the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

If any of your ingredients aren’t completely dry, allow the mixture to dry thoroughly before storing.

For best results, use a dehydrator on a low setting or allow the salt to air dry until completely dry.

4. Store

Transfer the finished Aglio e Olio herb salt to a clean, airtight jar.

Store it in a cool, dry pantry away from heat and moisture.

How to Use Aglio e Olio Herb Salt

This is one of those homemade pantry staples you’ll find yourself reaching for constantly.

Try it on:

• Spaghetti and other pasta
• Pizza
• Roasted potatoes
• French fries
• Roasted vegetables
• Grilled vegetables
• Chicken
• Shrimp and seafood
• Homemade bread
• Garlic bread
• Focaccia
• Eggs
• Popcorn
• Avocado toast

For a quick pasta dinner, toss hot pasta with olive oil, Parmesan, and a generous sprinkle of Aglio e Olio herb salt.

You can even add a little extra olive oil and fresh parsley for an easy shortcut when you don’t want to make the full traditional dish.

Make It More or Less Spicy

The red pepper flakes are completely adjustable.

For a mild seasoning, use just ½ teaspoon. If you love spicy food, increase the amount to 1 teaspoon or more.

You can also leave the red pepper flakes out entirely for a simple garlic and herb salt.

More Homemade Herb Salt Recipes

If you’re building a collection of homemade pantry seasonings, don’t stop with this one. There are lots of different herb combinations to try.

Homemade Herb Salt Recipes

My Homemade Herb Salt Recipes roundup has several different combinations for preserving fresh herbs and making your own flavorful pantry staples.

Garlic Herb Salt

If you love the garlic flavor in this Aglio e Olio blend, try my Garlic Herb Salt for another versatile seasoning that’s delicious on potatoes, meats, vegetables, pasta, and homemade bread.

Italian Herb Salt

My Italian Herb Salt uses rosemary, oregano, basil, thyme, and parsley for a classic Italian-inspired seasoning that’s wonderful on pasta, pizza, vegetables, and meats.

Tuscan Herb Salt

The Tuscan Herb Salt is another flavorful Italian-inspired blend and a great choice if you enjoy savory herb combinations.

Rosemary Herb Salt

Rosemary Herb Salt is wonderful with potatoes, roasted vegetables, chicken, pork, and homemade bread.

Rosemary Sage Herb Salt

For a deeper, more savory flavor, try Rosemary Sage Herb Salt. It’s especially good with roasted meats, potatoes, and fall vegetables.

Basil Herb Salt

Basil Herb Salt is a great way to preserve the flavor of fresh basil and is especially delicious with tomatoes, pasta, salads, and vegetables.

Dill Herb Salt

Try Dill Herb Salt on potatoes, seafood, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggs, and homemade dips.

Chive Herb Salt

Chive Herb Salt adds a mild onion flavor to potatoes, eggs, vegetables, soups, and creamy dishes.

Sage Herb Salt

Sage Herb Salt is especially good with hearty fall dishes, roasted vegetables, potatoes, pork, and poultry.

Lemon Herb Salt

For something brighter, try Lemon Herb Salt. The citrusy flavor is delicious with seafood, chicken, vegetables, and summer dishes.

Celery Salt

And don’t forget Celery Salt, a classic homemade seasoning that’s useful in soups, salads, savory sauces, potato dishes, and more.

Build Your Homemade Pantry

Making your own seasoning blends is one of those small projects that makes from scratch living feel practical rather than complicated.

You don’t need a huge garden or hours in the kitchen. A few dried herbs, good-quality salt, and a handful of small jars can give you an entire collection of homemade seasonings to use throughout the year.

Make this Aglio e Olio herb salt alongside your other herb salts and you’ll always have something flavorful to reach for when dinner needs a little boost.

Follow my homemade pantry board on Pinterest.