Description
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio is a classic Italian pasta dish featuring simple ingredients like garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and spaghetti. This quick and flavorful recipe delivers a perfect balance of heat and aroma, making it an ideal choice for a delicious weeknight dinner in just 20 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 pound dried spaghetti
- 1/2 cup good-quality olive oil
- 6 to 8 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)
Optional Garnishes
- Chopped fresh parsley
- Freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Boil the Pasta: Bring a large stockpot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the dried spaghetti and cook until nearly al dente, about one minute less than package instructions indicate.
- Sauté Garlic and Red Pepper: About 3 minutes after adding the pasta, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Sauté gently for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until the garlic turns lightly golden. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: As soon as the pasta is ready, use tongs to transfer it directly into the sauté pan with the garlic oil. Add 1/2 cup of the hot starchy pasta water to the pan. Toss the pasta continuously to evenly coat it with the garlic oil sauce. If the sauce seems dry, add an additional 1/4 cup of pasta water and toss again.
- Season to Taste: Taste the pasta and add extra salt or crushed red pepper flakes if desired to enhance the flavor.
- Serve and Garnish: Serve the pasta immediately while hot, garnished with your choice of chopped fresh parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese for an extra burst of flavor.
Notes
- This recipe is quick and simple, taking only about 20 minutes from start to finish.
- Adjust the amount of garlic and crushed red pepper flakes to suit your heat and flavor preferences.
- Using good-quality olive oil significantly improves the dish’s taste.
- Reserve some pasta water to loosen the sauce if it gets too thick.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 1.2 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 60 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
