Spaghetti aglio e olio
Spaghetti aglio e olio is a traditional Italian pasta dish from Naples. The key of the recipe is sautéing thinly sliced garlic in the olive oil and mixing it with spaghetti, or with any other pasta of your choice, adding some parsley, and finally topping it with parmesan cheese when served.
Celebrate the genius of traditional Roman culinary minimalism with authentic Spaghetti Aglio e Olio. Requiring nothing more than premium dry pasta, extra virgin olive oil, golden toasted garlic slices, and red pepper flakes, this iconic Italian dish delivers breathtaking comfort in under 15 minutes.
Why This Recipe Works
The technical triumph of this simple recipe rests entirely in creating a creamy binding emulsion without butter or cheese! Vigorously tossing al dente noodles with aromatic garlic-infused oil and starchy pasta cooking water coaxes liquid starch out of the grains, generating a shimmering coating that clings to every forkful.
Chef's Pro-Tips
- Watch the garlic closely: Sliced garlic transforms from nutty golden perfection to bitter, burnt carbon in a matter of seconds. Keep heat on gentle medium-low and remove skillet from flame immediately once cloves tint pale amber!
- Fresh parsley lift: Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley added right at the emulsifying stage introduces fresh grassy notes that cut gracefully through rich olive oils.
Ingredients
- 500 gramsspaghetti, or pasta of your choice
- 10 clovesgarlic, thinly sliced
- 250 millilitersolive oil
- 1 pinchsalt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 8 gramslightly dried parsley
Instructions
- Cook spaghetti in the pot with boiling and lightly salted water, for about 12 minutes.
- Drain and transfer to a pasta bowl.
- Heat the oil in the shallow pan, for about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, cook and stir for about 5 minutes, or until garlic is golden brown.
- Stir red black pepper and salt into the pasta.
- Pour in olive oil and garlic, and sprinkle on parsley.
- Stir until combined.
- Best served with vegan parmesan.