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Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

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I never knew that a pasta recipe that is so ridiculously simple could ever taste so good. If you want to make a stress free dinner, then you should definitely try this Aglio e Olio recipe.

An eye level photo of aglio e olio pasta with rocket leaves on top. Served on a nice, flat plat on a white piece of a cloth.

I think this dish proves that pasta should never be complicated and filled with a crap tone of ingredients. A few ingredients cooked well goes a long way. Let’s start with the pasta, shall we?

Al dente pasta:

Many packets will instruct you to cook the spaghetti for about 10-12 minutes. I say cook it for 8 minutes. Remember, you still need to toss it in the pan with the chilli and garlic, and the heat from that pan will continue to cook the pasta.

Draining the pasta a bit early will give you a result of al dente. Boiling it for 10-12 minutes is likely not to. And in case you didn’t know, biting into an al dente piece of pasta should feel cooked, yet should still have some resistance in the middle.

A step by step series of images showing how to cook and drain spaghetti.

Something you should always keep in mind is that garlic can burn easily, and you certainly don’t want bits of burnt garlic in your pasta right? This is why it’s important to fry the garlic lightly and to keep an eye on the colour. The colour of the garlic should be a nice light brown colour. If the garlic starts going dark, you’ve gone too far.

An image showing an example of garlic fried until nice and golden. And another example showing what burnt garlic looks like.

So how can so few ingredients work so effectively? Firstly, don’t be shy on the garlic, because 1 or 2 garlic cloves just won’t cut it in this recipe. And the important thing to understand is that the garlic and chilli give a great base of flavour. However, the idea isn’t just to add garlic and chilli, it’s about using that garlic and chilli to flavour the oil. That oil will then coat the pasta.

This is why you shouldn’t be afraid of the oil too. You don’t want to drench the pasta in olive oil, but you do want is to have every bit of pasta coated in that garlic and chilli fragrance. So a little drizzle of olive oil will not acheive that.

A step by step series of images showing garlic and chilli flakes being fried. Then cooked spaghetti, Parmesan, lemon juice and parsley being added and stirred through.

What else can I add to this recipe?

Yes, I know, this recipe had very few ingredients but remember, that is what makes it so awesome. I recommend that you try tasting this Aglio e Olio without adding anything first, see what you think, then decide on whether you want to add anything else. Here are a few different ways to amplify the dish:

  • Adding prawns that are peeled and pan fried.
  • Finely chopped up bacon that has been pan-fried until crispy.
  • Make it extra herby by adding more soft herbs such as basil, oregano, marjoram etc.
  • Frying the garlic and chilli flakes with a bit of finely chopped shallots can give a nice sweetness.

Overall, you don’t want to add anything too heavy or chunky. Keep it light because less is more.

A close up photo of peeled prawns being pan fried in olive oil.

A 90 degree angle photo of aglio e olio pasta with rocket leaves on top and a fork twirling up some of the pasta. Served on a nice, flat plat on a white piece of a cloth.

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An eye level photo of aglio e olio pasta with rocket leaves on top. Served on a nice, flat plat on a white piece of a cloth.
5 from 5 votes
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Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Aglio e Olio is ridiculously simple yet ridiculously tasty! When you make this once, you'll want to make it again. 

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Aglio e Olio, Aglio e Olio recipe, Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 423 kcal
Author Nicolas

Ingredients

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio:

  • 300 g spaghetti
  • Salt
  • 5 tablespoons of olive oil plus a bit extra for oiling the pasta
  • 6 cloves of garlic
  • ½ teaspoon of chilli flakes
  • 35 g Parmesan
  • ½ a lemon juiced
  • black cracked pepper optional
  • 1 bug bunch of parsley

Dressed Rocket:

Instructions

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio:

  1. Add 4L of water to a pot, then season the water with 2½ teaspoons of salt. Bring the water to a boil.
  2. Add the spaghetti and cook for 8 minutes stirring occasionally. When the pasta is almost ready to drain, use a cup to scoop out some of the pasta water. Drain the pasta into a colander. Then, add a swig of olive oil just to prevent the pasta from sticking too much.
  3. Put a large frying pan over low - medium heat (make sure the pan isn't too hot).

  4. Add your olive oil, then add your garlic. Once the garlic starts to fry, add your chilli flakes. As soon as you see the garlic developing a nice golden colour, add your pasta, your Parmesan cheese, your lemon juice, your black cracked pepper and pour in a splash of your pasta water just to make sure that the pasta doesn't stick and so it's nice and silky.

  5. Toss/stir the the pasta in the pan until the mixture is well combined and the pasta is well coated in all of that flavour.
  6. Turn the heat off, taste the pasta to see if it needs any more seasoning, then add your chopped parsley and stir through.

Dressed Rocket:

  1. Put the rocket, a squeeze of lemon juice, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a small pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix together until will combined.
  2. Serve the pasta and top it with your dressed rocket.

Recipe Notes

  • You don't have to use spaghetti, you can use whatever pasta you like. Just remember to cook the pasta 1-2 minutes earlier than what the packet instructions tell you. 
Nutrition Facts
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Amount Per Serving
Calories 423 Calories from Fat 208
% Daily Value*
Fat 23.1g36%
Saturated Fat 4.3g27%
Cholesterol 61mg20%
Sodium 113mg5%
Potassium 216mg6%
Carbohydrates 43.8g15%
Fiber 0.5g2%
Sugar 0.4g0%
Protein 12g24%
Calcium 90mg9%
Iron 2.9mg16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Sawsan@ Chef in disguise

    I never knew that this was actually an authentic Italian recipe!
    My kids LOVE a pasta that is very similar to this one only it uses broccoli instead of the prawns
    I need to try it your way soon (I think the addition of rocket is a brilliant idea)

  4. Blogtastic Food

    Thanks for the lovely comment. Yes I only recently found out about this dish. And yes I though the addition of the rocket was just a nice touch to incorporate a bit more of a healthy balance (:

  9. A_Boleyn

    With so few ingredients in this dish, doing it right is even more important. I laughed at the ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ garlic pictures cause I remember getting distracted prepping or washing a dish while my garlic was sauteing and having it go a ‘bit’ past lightly browned … and it was my last clove of garlic. 🙂

  11. chef mimi

    Just lovely. Actually, from reading the above comment, when I add minced garlic to warm/hot oil or butter, I stir it around until I smell it, about 30 seconds, and then add liquid or whatever…. Some people purposely brown garlic but I don’t like it.

  12. Nicolas

    Thanks Chef Mimi!! That such an interesting practice. Especially if you’re worried about burning the garlic. Thanks for sharing (:

  22. writegardener

    Mmmmm. I’ve made pasta this way before but not topped with rocket (a favorite of mine). I will definitely try this recipe next time. Your photos, instructions and site are fantastic by the way. It should make everyone want to cook. Delicio!

  26. Demeter

    No need to over complicate a meal. Using the best ingredients, the flavors will shine through. Well done. It sounds amazing!

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