Fork WeeklyDinner
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
This is the dish to master if you want to always be twenty minutes from a good dinner. Five ingredients, no shopping, and it’s genuinely delicious.
The whole thing hinges on two techniques: coaxing the garlic to gold without browning, and emulsifying the oil and starchy pasta water into a glossy sauce by tossing hard at the end.
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Garlic, good olive oil, chili flakes and parsley — the classic Roman pasta that turns five pantry ingredients into dinner in the time it takes to boil water.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) spaghetti
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ½–1 tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- Salt
- Grated parmesan, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until just shy of al dente, reserving 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- While the pasta cooks, warm the olive oil and sliced garlic in a large skillet over medium-low. Cook gently until the garlic is pale gold and fragrant — do not let it brown, 3–4 minutes.
- Add the red pepper flakes and swirl for 30 seconds.
- Add the drained pasta to the skillet with ½ cup of the pasta water. Toss vigorously over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until the sauce turns glossy and clings.
- Off the heat, stir in the parsley and a pinch of salt. Loosen with more pasta water if needed. Serve with parmesan if you like.
Recipe notes & tips
- Low and slow on the garlic is everything — burnt garlic turns the whole dish bitter.
- The starchy pasta water is what emulsifies the oil into a real sauce; don't skip it.
- Traditionally served without cheese, but a little parmesan is never wrong.
468 kcalCalories
12 gProtein
68 gCarbs
18 gFat