Description
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio is a classic Italian pasta dish made with simple ingredients like garlic, olive oil, crushed red pepper, and Parmesan cheese. This recipe highlights the bold flavors of thinly sliced garlic sautéed in olive oil, tossed with perfectly al dente spaghetti, fresh parsley, and a hint of lemon juice. It’s a quick, comforting, and flavorful meal perfect for any day of the week.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 1 tsp salt (for pasta water)
- ¼ cup pasta water (reserved from cooking the spaghetti)
Garlic Oil Sauce
- 1 bulb garlic (about 20 cloves, peeled and sliced thin)
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ tsp cracked red pepper flakes
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ tsp salt (for sautéing garlic)
Finishing Ingredients
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 Tbsp Italian parsley, chopped
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Boil Pasta: Gather all ingredients and bring a large pot of water to a boil, adding ½ tsp salt to season the water.
- Cook Pasta: Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water before straining the pasta.
- Sauté Garlic: In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, heat olive oil. Add thinly sliced garlic, ½ tsp salt, cracked black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Sauté gently until fragrant and the garlic turns golden but not burnt, about 2 minutes.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the drained spaghetti to the saucepan with the garlic oil. Toss thoroughly to coat every strand of spaghetti with the garlicky oil.
- Add Finishing Touches: Sprinkle in the grated Parmesan cheese, chopped Italian parsley, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of reserved pasta water. Toss well to melt the cheese into the sauce and evenly coat the pasta. Add extra pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce to your desired consistency.
Notes
- Using a whole bulb of garlic (about 20 cloves) is essential for the dish’s bold and irresistible flavor. Thinly slicing the garlic ensures it infuses the oil without burning.
- For a spicier variation, some classic recipes use fresh chili peppers (spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino), but cracked red pepper flakes offer controlled heat and are more economical.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1/8th of recipe)
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 420mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 54g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 10mg
