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Mains · Italian

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Garlic, oil, pasta... and the pasta water does the magic. Wait, don't pour it all out!

Hands-on
25 min
Hands-off
15 min
Total
40 min
Makes
4 servings (4 to 6)
Serves
4

Total 40 min. Active work is slicing, the garlic, and the two pasta stages; the passive 15 is waiting for the big pot to boil plus the 2-minute rest. The split is our estimate.

  • easy
  • vegan
  • vegetarian
  • dairy-free
  • pantry
  • quick
  • weeknight

Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means

Illustration of Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Amount
Units

Ingredients

You need: small saucepan · large pot or Dutch oven · colander · liquid measuring jug · tongs · chopping board and knife

Contains: wheat

Method

  1. Warm the garlic slowly

    Put the oil and sliced garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Let it cook gently until the garlic is pale gold and smells great, about 5 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the pepper flakes, and set it aside.

    Ready when: The garlic is pale gold and fragrant, not brown; burnt garlic turns bitter.

    Otto tried this firstOtto turns the heat up to save time and the garlic burns, which makes it bitter, so he has to start over.

  2. Part-cook the pasta

    Bring the water to a boil in a large pot, then add the spaghetti and the tablespoon of salt. Stir often and cook for about 5 minutes, until the strands bend but are still very firm in the middle.

    Ready when: The strands bend but are still very firm in the centre.

  3. Save the starchy water

    Before you drain, scoop out 710 ml (3 cups) of the cooking water and keep it nearby. Then drain the pasta, pouring away from yourself because of the steam.

  4. Finish the pasta in the sauce

    Put the pasta back in the empty pot with the garlic oil, the 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 475 ml (2 cups) of the saved water. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat and keep lifting and folding the pasta with tongs for about 5 minutes, until most of the water is absorbed but a little still pools at the bottom.

    Ready when: Most of the water is absorbed, but a little still pools at the bottom.

  5. Rest, then loosen

    Take the pot off the heat and let it sit for 2 minutes. Stir in the parsley and splash in more saved water, about 60 ml (1/4 cup), until the noodles look slightly wet and glossy, not oily. Serve right away.

    Ready when: The noodles look slightly wet and glossy, not oily.

Swaps

  • Instead of 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes: up to 3 small dried chili peppers, crushed Stir them in off the heat, just like the flakes, so they don't burn.

Make ahead, store & reheat

Storage
Best eaten straight away. Cool leftovers and put them in the fridge within 1 to 2 hours, then eat them within 2 days (48 hours).
Reheat
Reheat until steaming hot all the way through, stirring as it heats; reheat leftovers only once.

If something goes wrong

  • The pasta looks oily, not glossy
    Toss in more of the saved cooking water, about 60 ml (1/4 cup) at a time.
  • Bitter garlic
    It burned. Keep the heat medium-low and take the pan off as soon as the garlic is pale gold.
  • Thin sauce that won't cling
    Use the full amount of cooking water for the pasta: its starch is what thickens the sauce.

Good to know

  • The pepper flakes go in off the heat so they don't burn.
  • No pepper flakes? Up to 3 small dried chili peppers, crushed, work too.
  • The water you saved is the sauce. Keep it until the very end in case the pasta tightens up.

Safety

  • Hot oil and garlic can spit. Keep the pan handle turned inward and stay at the stove while the garlic cooks.
  • Draining pasta releases a big cloud of steam that can burn your face and hands, so pour away from yourself. Kids should leave draining to an adult.
  • Some dried pastas contain egg. Check the packet if you are cooking for someone with an egg allergy.