Garlic Olive Oil Pasta
Quick answer
- Total time
- 25 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 10
About this dish
Aglio e olio means garlic and oil, and the Neapolitan dish asks for little beyond that: sliced garlic, chili flakes, olive oil, and spaghetti.
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With so few ingredients, the result rests on how the garlic cooks. Over low heat it should reach a pale gold in 3 to 4 minutes, and a few seconds past that the oil turns bitter. Starchy pasta water, added in portions and shaken hard with the oil, turns into a cloudy emulsion that clings to every strand. The traditional version uses no cheese and no cream.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Bring 2L of water to a boil, add 10g salt, then cook 180g spaghetti until 1 minute short of al dente per package instructions, reserving 80ml of pasta water in a cup.
- 2
Crush 6 garlic cloves flat with the side of a knife, then slice them paper-thin.
Remove tough stems from 1 tbsp parsley and chop finely.
- 3
Heat 4 tbsp olive oil with garlic slices over the lowest flame for 3 to 4 minutes until they turn pale golden, swirling the pan occasionally.
- 4
Once the garlic is lightly golden, add 1 tsp peperoncino and stir over low heat for 20 seconds to infuse the oil with heat.
- 5
Add the drained spaghetti and 80ml of reserved pasta water gradually to the pan, increase to high heat, and toss vigorously for 30 seconds until the oil and starch emulsify into a glossy sauce.
- 6
Remove from heat, season with salt and 0.3 tsp black pepper, fold in the chopped parsley, and plate immediately.
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