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Spaghetti aglio e olio in a white pasta bowl.

Aglio e Olio

Garlic and Olive Oil Pasta
Makes 2 SERVINGS
Total Time 15 minutes
  • 8 oz (½ lb) (225 g) thin spaghetti or linguine
  • 4 Tbsp (60 g) extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • a pinch of chili pepper, powdered or crushed (optional)
  • a pinch of Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped (optional)

KEY: pinch (⅛ tsp) | tsp = teaspoon (5ml) | Tbsp = Tablespoon (15ml)

  • Bring a large covered pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, tender yet still firm to the bite.
  • Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large enough sauté pan to accommodate the spaghetti. Add the garlic and chili pepper and cook over medium low heat until the garlic just starts to turn golden, around 2 minutes. Remove from heat immediately, as it will continue to cook.
  • Drain the pasta and add to the pan along with ½ cup of the cooking water. Toss over high heat until all water is absorbed. Sprinkle with a pinch of fresh Italian parsley, if using, and serve immediately.

Garlic Variations

    • Finely chop or cut into short matchsticks.
    • Cut into thicker slices, about 3mm, and gently stew on lower heat to caramelize the sugars until tender, about 10 minutes. I use a small saucepan for this so that the oil comes up to a higher level in the pan.
    • Leave the garlic whole - Add the peeled clove whole to the oil, crushing it a little, if you like, to release more flavor. Remove from the oil before tossing with the pasta. Great for those intolerant to digesting garlic or who just prefer a subtle garlic flavor.

Tuscan Osteria Variation:

  • Fresh Pasta - Swap dried for fresh pasta, ideally chitarra (guitar spring pasta).
  • Cheese - Sprinkle each serving generously with freshly grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese.
  • Fried Sage - Top each serving with a few leaves of crispy fried sage. To fry the sage, make sure it is completely dry. Then heat a little olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the sage leaves and fry until crisp, about 2 minutes. Remove, dust with a pinch of sea salt and let dry on a paper towel. Set aside.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 673kcal (34%) | Carbohydrates: 86g (29%) | Protein: 15g (30%) | Fat: 30g (46%) | Saturated Fat: 4g (25%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 266mg (8%) | Fiber: 4g (17%) | Vitamin B1 (Thiamine): 0.1mg (7%) | Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): 0.1mg (6%) | Vitamin B3 (Niacin): 2mg (10%) | Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): 0.2mg (10%) | Vitamin E: 4mg (27%) | Vitamin K: 17µg (16%) | Folate (Vitamin B9): 21µg (5%) | Iron: 2mg (11%) | Magnesium: 61mg (15%) | Selenium: 72µg (103%) | Zinc: 2mg (13%)
Please keep in mind that nutritional info is an estimate and varies according to ingredients used.