Description
This classic Italian Spaghetti Aglio e Olio recipe is a simple yet flavorful pasta dish featuring al dente spaghetti tossed with fragrant sautéed garlic, olive oil, cracked red pepper flakes, and a touch of fresh lemon juice and Parmesan cheese. Perfect for a quick and delicious meal, this recipe yields 8 servings and delivers a bold combination of garlicky, slightly spicy, and tangy flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Spaghetti
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 1 tsp salt
Garlic Oil Sauce
- 1 bulb garlic (about 20 cloves, peeled and sliced thin)
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ tsp cracked red pepper flakes
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
Finishing Touches
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 Tbsp Italian parsley, chopped
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Gather all your ingredients and set a large pot of water to boil. Add ½ teaspoon of salt to the boiling water to season it before cooking the pasta.
- Cook Pasta: Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Once cooked, drain the pasta, reserving ¼ cup of the pasta water for the sauce.
- Sauté Garlic: In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, add the olive oil along with thinly sliced garlic, freshly cracked black pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, and cracked red pepper flakes. Sauté gently until the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to turn golden, approximately 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic to keep the flavor pleasant.
- Toss Pasta: Transfer the drained spaghetti into the saucepan with the garlic-infused oil. Toss thoroughly so each strand is coated evenly.
- Add Finishing Ingredients: Add the grated Parmesan cheese, chopped Italian parsley, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water to the spaghetti. Toss continuously to allow the cheese to melt into the sauce and coat the pasta evenly. Add a bit more pasta water if you prefer a looser, silkier sauce texture.
Notes
- Using a whole bulb of garlic (around 20 cloves) gives this dish its signature bold and irresistible flavor. Thinly slicing the garlic ensures it infuses well without burning.
- For a spicier version known as ‘spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino,’ fresh chili peppers can be added. However, cracked red pepper flakes offer a more controlled and convenient heat option.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1/8 of recipe)
- Calories: 390 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 460 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 11 g
- Cholesterol: 8 mg
