Spaghetti, glossed in olive oil with golden-brown fried garlic and a hint of chilli, resulting in a simple but deeply flavourful pasta. Four ingredients, ten minutes, and according to many the most honest test of a kitchen.
Spaghetti aglio e olio
Region: Campania
Spaghetti aglio e olio
Region: Campania
Method
01
Cook the pasta
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente. Before draining, keep a cup of the cooking water.
02
Fry the garlic
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a low-medium heat. Add the garlic and fry gently, stirring, until light gold, not brown; burnt garlic turns bitter.
03
Add the chilli
Add the chilli flakes and fry for another 30 seconds.
04
Combine
Drain the spaghetti and add it straight to the pan with the garlic oil, together with a splash of cooking water. Toss and stir vigorously until the pasta gleams and the sauce clings.
05
Finish
Stir in the parsley and season with salt.
06
Serve
Divide straight away between warm plates. Cheese is traditionally not used with this dish, but nobody is stopping you.
Tips & notes
Fry the garlic over a low heat and keep a constant eye on it; the difference between golden brown and burnt is a matter of seconds and determines whether the dish turns out sweet and nutty or bitter. Use plenty of olive oil; that oil is the sauce in this dish. Keeps for 2–3 days in a sealed container in the fridge.
Variations
- Add fried prawns for aglio e olio con gamberi.
- Toast some breadcrumbs in olive oil until crisp and sprinkle over the top for pangrattato, a southern Italian 'poor man's Parmesan'.
Contains:
Gluten
Milk
Serve with
| Calories | 434 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 33 g |
| Fat | 31 g |
| Fibre | 2 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
