I never thought of an Alfredo Sauce as a quick idea but then I saw them make on in one of those "magic bullet" machines on TV. I realized that alfredo is pretty quick, after all.
You just melt butter and whisk in cream. Add grated Parmesan until melted. Toss in some hot pasta. That's it. And so good.
Your garlic/olive oil combo sounds delish. I can see how you can doctor it up for other flavor variations such as adding:
*olives of different types
*sun-dried tomatoes
*fresh basil
*sauteed vegetables (primavera)
*hot red pepper flakes (arrabiatta)
*meats (chicken, shrimp, beef strips, pork)
*nuts (pinenuts, walnuts)
*carmelized onion, anchovies and black olives
*cream cheese thinned with some milk and sauteed mushrooms (tetrazzini-style)
I love pasta and tend to make the same sauce so I'm glad you posted this to spark some new ideas! Thanks!