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Italian

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Spaghetti finishes in olive oil with thinly sliced garlic and chili flakes, using pasta water to make a silky sauce. It tastes garlicky, lightly spicy, and clean, with parsley stirred in at the end.

Prep
10 min
Cook
15 min
Total
25 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Easy
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Spaghetti glossed with olive oil, garlic slices, chili flakes, and parsley

Why you’ll love it

  • Sliced garlic browns more evenly than minced garlic in oil.
  • Pasta water is the emulsifier that makes oil cling to noodles.
  • Chili flakes bloom in the warm oil instead of tasting dusty.
  • Parsley goes in off the heat so it stays green.

Ingredients

Servings4

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Boil the spaghetti in water seasoned with 1 teaspoon of the salt until just tender. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.

  2. 2

    Warm the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-low heat. If the oil smokes, turn the heat off and let the pan cool before you continue.

  3. 3

    Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until the garlic is pale gold, about 2 minutes. Do not let it go dark brown.

  4. 4

    Add the drained spaghetti, black pepper, and the remaining salt. Toss over medium heat.

  5. 5

    Add pasta water a splash at a time and toss until the oil looks silky and coats the noodles, about 1 minute. The pan should be hot, around 300°F at the surface.

  6. 6

    Turn off the heat, stir in the parsley and lemon juice, and serve.

Pro tips

  • Pale gold garlic is the goal; dark garlic turns the oil bitter.
  • Save more pasta water than you think you need.
  • Toss vigorously so the oil and water emulsify instead of separating.

Easy substitutions

spaghetti
linguine
red pepper flakes
1 fresh sliced chile
parsley
basil

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

Reheating

Reheat in a skillet with a splash of water and a drizzle of olive oil until the pasta is hot.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
466
Protein
12 g
Carbs
64 g
Fat
18 g
Fiber
3 g

Budget friendly · Stovetop · Dairy-Free

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From the kitchen

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  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

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  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

    Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.

  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

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Ingredients