Why This Garlicky Dip Should Star At Your Next Pasta Night

When pasta night rolls around, most of us reach for the same jar of pasta sauce (check out our list of popular brands, ranked worst to best) or a stick of butter and some Parmesan. But there's a creamy, garlicky sauce that can transform those noodles into something you'd swear came from your favorite Italian spot. It's called toum — a Lebanese garlic dip that's light, fluffy, and loaded with an ultra garlicky kick. You don't have to visit one of the best Mediterranean restaurants in the U.S. to get it either. Toom is one of the most popular brands of this garlic sauce, and you can find that or another version of toum in a container at supermarkets like Costco, Target, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's. 

The magic of toum is in its simplicity. Made with garlic, oil, lemon, and salt, it melts right into hot noodles, creating an instant silky sauce. Think garlic butter but brighter and fresher. You can also stir a spoonful into jarred pasta sauce before heating it. The garlic lifts the flavor and makes the sauce taste like you simmered it all day, no effort required. It's bold, it's vibrant, and it will instantly elevate your next pasta night.

Toum isn't just a dip meant for using up pita bread or dunking vegetables into — it's a quick, flavor-packed shortcut for pasta night. Because it's already whipped into a creamy, almost mayonnaise-like consistency, toum blends effortlessly into hot pasta water or jarred tomato sauce, instantly transforming it into something garlicky, silky, and restaurant-worthy. Just toss a spoonful into your favorite marinara, vodka sauce, or even a simple butter-and-parmesan mix, and it deepens the flavor without extra effort. The garlic mellows slightly when heated but still brings the punch you expect from fresh cloves, saving you the time of peeling and sautéing.

The best part is that toum works across pasta styles. Stir it into a quick linguine with clams, add it to spaghetti pomodoro, or whisk it into cream for a garlicky Alfredo upgrade. If you're keeping things simple, you can even toss warm pasta directly with toum, olive oil, and parmesan for a garlicky take on a cacio e pepe recipe. Since it lasts for a month when refrigerated, it's a solid pantry staple to keep on hand for pasta nights that are easier, faster, and a whole lot tastier.