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It sounds too simple to be good, but it's among the best.
By
Daniel Gritzer
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/daniel-gritzer-095af850d50f4cd593487117353243fd.jpg "Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (Pasta in Garlic and Oil Sauce) Recipe (1)")
Daniel Gritzer
Senior Culinary Director
Daniel joined the Serious Eats culinary team in 2014 and writes recipes, equipment reviews, articles on cooking techniques. Prior to that he was a food editor at Food & Wine magazine, and the staff writer for Time Out New York's restaurant and bars section.
Learn about Serious Eats'Editorial Process
Updated April 21, 2022
Why It Works
- Adding starchy pasta water to the skillet with the garlic and oil helps emulsify the sauce to create a creamier, less oily texture.
- Gently cooking the garlic in the oil infuses this incredibly easy sauce with flavor.
If there were a pasta bible, the first line would read, "In the beginning, God created aglio e olio." Historically, that line wouldn't really be accurate, since the evidence doesn't support the idea that garlic (aglio) and oil (olio) were the original accompaniments to pasta. But structurally—and by that I mean the way most pasta sauces today are cooked—aglio and olio are almost always the first step. From arrabbiata to marinara, alle vongole to puttanesca, each sauce begins by gently cooking garlic in oil. Even pesto, which is never cooked, has at its base a purée of garlic suspended in oil.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__recipes__images__2016__02__20160219-pasta-aglio-olio-vicky-wasik-8-1f312e17a6744973a9550a5bfcaf98c1.jpg "Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (Pasta in Garlic and Oil Sauce) Recipe (2)")
The beautiful thing about those two building blocks is that not only are they essential components of so many other sauces, but they also make one of the greatest pasta sauces all on their own. Aglio e olio, I think it's safe to claim, is the simplest pantry-staples-only pasta sauce in the entire Italian canon. You don't even need cheese—in fact, some would argue cheese isn't a welcome addition. If you have spaghetti, garlic, salt, and oil, you can make this pasta right now.
Given its ease, you'd think aglio e olio would be a much more widely known pasta sauce. In Italy, it is. Most Italians I've met get misty-eyed when they speak of it, recalling childhoods full of after-school bowls of aglio e olio whipped up by their beloved mammas. In the United States, though, it's not on most people's radar, despite this country's deep pasta obsession—which is a shame.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__images__2016__02__20160219-pasta-aglio-olio-vicky-wasik-9-7d83fa7783374b2984716433b94a213f.jpg "Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (Pasta in Garlic and Oil Sauce) Recipe (3)")
Making it couldn't be easier, though it still requires attention to the basic method for finishing almost any pasta dish. It starts by gently cooking garlic in a skillet with olive oil until it's very lightly golden. I often add a pinch of red pepper flakes, which technically makes the dish aglio, olio, e peperoncino. They add a pleasant, warm heat without overcomplicating the basic garlic-and-oil flavor.
While the garlic quietly sizzles, the pasta should be boiling away in a separate pot of salted water. (Not salty like the sea, which is 3% salinity; 1%, or roughly one tablespoon per quart or liter of water, is about all you want.) You need only enough water to sufficiently cover the pasta and give it some room to move around. That can mean a large pot with the pasta dropped in vertically, or a wide, large skillet with the pasta on its side.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__images__2016__02__20160219-pasta-aglio-olio-vicky-wasik-5-f3a9764a60074beeb74ed1a64dccb5fe.jpg "Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (Pasta in Garlic and Oil Sauce) Recipe (4)")
As soon as the pasta is just shy of al dente, transfer it to the skillet with the garlic and oil. Then add a few tablespoons of the pasta water and cook it all together over high heat, stirring and tossing rapidly, to emulsify the oil with the starchy pasta water.
It's ready when the sauce reduces to a creamy coating on the noodles. If you over-reduce it and the sauce becomes too oily, you can always add a little more pasta water to get it back where you want it. A drizzle of fresh olive oil reintroduces its uncooked, fruity flavor.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__images__2016__02__20160219-pasta-aglio-olio-vicky-wasik-7-d60c459d744d4424841b624a225dcdb5.jpg "Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (Pasta in Garlic and Oil Sauce) Recipe (5)")
If you're dead set on adding grated cheese, this would be the time to do it, though I'd encourage at least trying it without first. I'll sometimes add a little minced parsley if I have some on hand, but even that is optional.
Take a bite, and let there be light.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__images__2016__02__20160219-pasta-aglio-olio-vicky-wasik-10-1e8979903d414714bf78dfc039c11688.jpg "Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (Pasta in Garlic and Oil Sauce) Recipe (6)")
February 22, 2016
Recipe Details
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (Pasta in Garlic and Oil Sauce) Recipe
Cook10 mins
Active10 mins
Total10 mins
Serves4 servings
Ingredients
Kosher salt
1 pound (450g) dried spaghetti
1/2 cup (120ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
Minced flat-leaf parsley, for serving (optional)
Directions
In a pot of salted boiling water, cook spaghetti until just shy of al dente (about 1 minute less than the package directs). Reserve pasta cooking water.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, combine 6 tablespoons oil and garlic. Add pinch of red pepper flakes, if using. Cook over medium heat until garlic is very lightly golden, about 5 minutes. (Adjust heat as necessary to keep it gently sizzling.)
Transfer pasta to skillet along with 1/2 cup pasta water, increase heat to high, and cook, stirring and tossing rapidly, until a creamy, emulsified sauce forms and coats the noodles. Remove from heat, add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and stir well to combine. Mix in parsley, if using, and serve right away.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__images__2016__02__20160219-pasta-aglio-olio-vicky-wasik-3-04a56ea2cc1241daa822003e99c92602.jpg "Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (Pasta in Garlic and Oil Sauce) Recipe (7)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__serious_eats__seriouseats.com__images__2016__02__20160219-pasta-aglio-olio-vicky-wasik-4-bb6ed59c740942ca901bc2907114a167.jpg "Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (Pasta in Garlic and Oil Sauce) Recipe (8)")
- Pasta Mains
- Italian
- Olive Oil
- Garlic
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 664 | Calories |
| 29g | Fat |
| 85g | Carbs |
| 15g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
×
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 4 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 664 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 29g | 37% |
| Saturated Fat 4g | 20% |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 244mg | 11% |
| Total Carbohydrate 85g | 31% |
| Dietary Fiber 4g | 13% |
| Total Sugars 3g | |
| Protein 15g | |
| Vitamin C 1mg | 5% |
| Calcium 29mg | 2% |
| Iron 4mg | 22% |
| Potassium 263mg | 6% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
