Pasta with Garlic and Oil (Aglio e Olio)

cooked spaghetti in a plate with parsley.

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4.67 from 3 votes

Pasta with Garlic and Oil (Aglio e Olio)

You can make spaghetti aglio e olio in 20 minutes! You'll love this easy pasta recipe from Naples.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: -6

Calories: 822kcal

Author: Mamma C

Ingredients

1 pound spaghetti (or linguine, bucatini, or fettuccine)
¾ cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic (medium-to-large)
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup starchy cooking water (from the pasta pot)
⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (plus extra for serving)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Fill a pasta pot ⅔ full with hot water and place it on the stove. Add two teaspoons of salt. Cover the pot and heat it on high to let it come to a boil.
While the water is heating, peel the garlic and slice it about ¼-inch thick. Get rid of any green shoots so the garlic isn't bitter.
When the water is boiling, sitr in the pasta so it's fully submerged. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until al dente. When the pasta is almost fully cooked, scoop out 1 cup (2 standard ladles) of the starchy cooking water and place it in a bowl to use later.
While the pasta is cooking, in a 12-inch skillet, heat the olive oil on low. Stir in the red pepper flakes and ¼ teaspoon salt. Add the garlic slices and cook on low for five minutes, just until it starts sizzling. Turn off the heat and use a slotted spoon to remove the garlic to a little bowl to save for serving.
Rinse and pat dry a handful of parsely and chop the leaves until you have two tablespoons. Grate the Parmesan if needed. (I use my blender.)
When the pasta is cooked (and you've saved some of the starchy water) drain the spaghetti in a colander in the sink. Heat the pan of garlic-infused oil on low and carefully transfer the pasta to the pan of oil. Stir and toss the pasta to coat it with the oil. Turn off the heat. Stir in ½ cup (1 standard ladle) of the reserved starchy cooking water. (Save the rest of the water for any leftover pasta.)
Add the grated Parmesan and chopped parsley and stir to combine.
Serve with extra Parmesan. Anyone who wants extra garlic can add a few of the cooked garlic slices.
If there is pasta left over, stir in some of the reserved starchy water as needed, so the pasta won't be dry. Refrigerate leftover pasta in a sealed container for up to four days. Stir well before reheating.

Notes

Be sure to cook the garlic and oil over low heat, so the garlic doesn't burn. Removing the garlic slices after five minutes of cooking will provide you with a delicious, garlic-infused oil without it being overwhelmingly strong.
Wait until the pasta is almost cooked to scoop out and reserve some of the starchy water. The extra-starchy water will help create a better emulsion when you add some of it to the cooked pasta in oil.
The displayed calories correspond to dividing this into four generous servings. If you divide the pasta into six smaller servings, there will be fewer calories in each.

Nutrition