Authentic Spaghetti Aglio e Olio Recipe
Lazio, Italy
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Introduction & history
Spaghetti aglio e olio is prepared by simply cooking the spaghetti in salted water until al dente and tossing it together with garlic sautéed in lots of olive oil. After plating, the dish can be finished with an optional sprinkling of chopped parsley. Still, although it's dubbed as the simplest Italian pasta dish due to only four ingredients needed to make it, the technique and quality of ingredients have to be on point if you're going to do it justice.
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Cooking tips
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extra virgin olive oil
Since the quality of ingredients is particularly important for this recipe, always go for the best extra virgin olive oil, you can find or afford. It is recommended to use the oil made with hand-picked, cold-pressed olives since the oil is the main carrier of flavor in the dish. To further accentuate the flavor, it is suggested to opt for robust and the peppery olive oils; that is, if you find the ... Read more -
garlic
It is advised to go for quality garlic, which you will most likely find at farmer's markets and not at regular supermarkets. Italians have put out some recommendations as to what varieties are best to use for this dish — the Proceno red garlic, the red garlic from Nubia, and the Ufita garlic, to name a few. Some recipes for aglio e olio advise that you boil the garlic a few times in water before use ... Read more -
boost garlic flavor
In case you use generic supermarket garlic, and/or you've had the misfortune of ending up with a bland aglio e olio, there are ways you can boost the garlic flavor. One way is to flavor the olive oil — you sauté the crushed garlic until browned, discard it, and proceed with the instructions as stated in the recipe. If that is not enough, you can further upgrade the flavor by adding some minced garlic ... Read more -
cooking spaghetti
Since you will not be adding any salt to the dish directly, the water in which you cook the spaghetti must be heavily salted, so the dish does not end up bland tasting. The spaghetti should be nearly al dente, meaning not completely done, as they will continue to cook in the pan with the oil and garlic. -
technique
Be careful while sautéing garlic and peperoncino, as browning them or even just slightly heating them too much will make these delicate ingredients turn bitter. To keep them sweet, make sure the garlic doesn't get any darker than the palest gold. Also, for the perfectly creamy spaghetti aglio e olio, it is recommended to drain the pasta only lightly, so that there is a little water left on it or to ... Read more -
variations
Although a prime example of cucina povera, spaghetti aglio e olio is no stranger to interpretations. The most known version is one that includes a chili pepper peperoncino, which goes by the name spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino. Besides peperonciono, aglio e olio recipes often include ingredients like breadcrumbs, anchovies, lemon, and cheese, although in that case, the dish cannot be called aglio ... Read more
Recipe variations
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
PREP 10min
COOK 10min
READY IN 20min
This is the recipe for the traditional, stripped-down version of spaghetti aglio e olio, made with just spaghetti, garlic, and olive oil.
Ingredients
Kosher salt
1 lb (450g) dried spaghetti
1/2 cup (120ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
flat-leaf parsley, minced, for serving (optional)
Preparation
Start by bringing a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Then, add the spaghetti, and when they're nearly al dente, heat the olive oil in a saucepan and start gently sautéing garlic over low heat. Do not let the garlic burn!
Add a splash of pasta water to the pan to stop the cooking, then transfer the nearly al dente spaghetti using tongs to the pan
Cook it very shortly over high heat, tossing rapidly, so the pasta water and the oil merge into a sauce. Add more pasta water if needed!
Lastly, if desired, add chopped parsley and toss again. Serve immediately.
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