Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Spaghetti with garlic, olive oil & chili
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Join HomecookedIngredients
- 400 g Spaghetti
- 6 cloves Garlic
- 90 ml Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Red pepper flakes
- 40 g Salt
- 3 tbsp Parsley (optional)
Method
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it heavily.
- Slice the garlic thin, lengthwise — never minced.
- Chop the parsley.
- Drop the spaghetti into the boiling water and cook one minute shy of al dente (firm to the bite).
- While the spaghetti cooks, warm the oil with the garlic in a wide skillet over medium heat until pale gold, about 3 minutes.
- Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the red pepper flakes.
- Reserve a mugful of pasta water, then drain the spaghetti.
- Toss the pasta in the skillet off heat, adding pasta water by the spoonful until glossy.
- Finish with the parsley and a thread of fresh oil and serve.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from ingredients; varies with exact portions and brands.
About Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Spaghetti aglio e olio — literally "garlic and oil" — is the purest expression of Roman and southern Italian pantry cooking, a pasta built from almost nothing and beloved precisely for it. There is no sauce in the usual sense; the flavor is garlic gently cooked in good olive oil, sharpened with red pepper flakes and brightened with parsley, emulsified into a light coating by pasta water. It's the dish Italians make late at night, after a party, or when the fridge is bare, and its reputation rests entirely on getting a few simple moves exactly right.
The technique here is the whole recipe. Slicing the garlic thin and lengthwise rather than mincing it lets it cook slowly to a pale gold without scorching, so it turns sweet and mellow instead of bitter — the difference between a great version and a harsh one. Pulling the pan off the heat before the chili goes in protects the garlic, and tossing the pasta off-heat with spoonfuls of starchy cooking water is what draws the oil and water into a glossy, clinging sauce rather than a greasy slick. Cooking the spaghetti a minute shy of al dente leaves room for it to finish in the pan. Twenty minutes, a handful of ingredients, and no place to hide — which is exactly why cooks love it.
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Spaghetti Aglio e Olio?
One serving of Spaghetti Aglio e Olio has about 585 calories, with 14g of protein, 78g of carbs, 24g of fat and 4g of fiber. These are estimates based on the ingredient amounts in this recipe and will vary with your exact portions and brands.
Is Spaghetti Aglio e Olio gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Spaghetti. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
How long does Spaghetti Aglio e Olio take to make?
About 20 minutes start to finish, but only around 12 of those are hands-on — the rest is cooking time. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Spaghetti Aglio e Olio?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out parsley — it's optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Spaghetti Aglio e Olio make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.