Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Aglio e olio is the pasta you make from an almost empty fridge, and with so few ingredients every detail counts. We warm the garlic in oil from a cold pan so it gives up its flavour without burning, then bring the sauce together with pasta water until it turns lightly creamy.
- Prep
- 4 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 14 min
- Servings
- 2
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 590 kcal
Ingredients
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What to use instead
Instead of chilli flakes, use half a fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped.
Makes: 2 servings
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Start the pasta
Boil the water in the kettle and pour it into a pot over high heat. Once it's back at a rolling boil, add the salt and the spaghetti. Cook for 1–2 minutes less than the packet says — the centre of a strand should still have a firm bite.
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Step 2: Slice garlic and parsley
While the pasta cooks, slice the garlic as thinly as you can and finely chop the parsley.
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Step 3: Warm the garlic
Pour the oil into a large, cold frying pan, add the garlic and set it over medium-low heat. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until the slices are just turning golden at the edges. Stir in the chilli flakes and take the pan off the heat straight away — browned garlic turns bitter.
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Step 4: Save some pasta water
Before draining the pasta, scoop out a mugful of the cooking water. Its starch is what binds the oil and water into a sauce.
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Step 5: Bring the sauce together
Lift the spaghetti with tongs straight into the garlic pan, add 80–100 ml of the pasta water and return to medium heat. Toss vigorously for 1–2 minutes, until the oil and water turn into a light, slightly cloudy sauce that clings to every strand.
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Step 6: Finish with parsley
Add the parsley, toss and taste. If the pasta looks dry, loosen it with another splash of pasta water, adjust the salt and serve immediately.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Be generous with the salt in the water: there's no cheese or tomato sauce here, so the flavour of the pasta itself carries the dish.
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Tip
To keep the sauce from splitting, don't drain the pasta bone-dry and don't let it sit: hot starchy water and vigorous tossing are the whole trick.
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Variation
For a deeper flavour, melt 2 anchovy fillets in the oil with the garlic — they dissolve in a minute. The dish will no longer be vegan.
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Swap
Instead of chilli flakes, use half a fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 2 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 590 kcal | 1,180 kcal |
| Protein | 13 g | 26 g |
| Fat | 28 g | 56 g |
| Carbohydrates | 72 g | 144 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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