Spaghetti aglio e olio is a pasta dish typical of the city of Naples, in the Campania region of Italy. Its popularity can be attributed to it being simple to prepare and the fact that it makes use of inexpensive, readily available ingredients that have long shelf lives in a pantry.
Ingredients:
Spaghetti, fettuccine, linguine, or any other pasta of your choice
Extra virgin olive oil
4-8 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
Crushed red pepper flakes
Salt
Optional toppings: fresh parsley, grated Parmesan cheese, or lemon zest
Instructions:
Cook the pasta: Boil your pasta in a large pot of salted water until it's just one minute shy of being al dente, according to the package instructions. Reserve about 3/4 cup of the pasta water before draining.
Prepare the garlic sauce: In a large sauté pan, heat a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is lightly golden and fragrant. Be careful not to let the garlic burn.
Toss the pasta: Immediately transfer the drained pasta to the sauté pan using tongs, along with 1/2 cup of the reserved hot starchy pasta water. Toss the pasta continuously in the garlic sauce until it is evenly coated. If the sauce looks too dry, add an additional 1/4 cup of pasta water until you reach your desired consistency.
Season: Taste the pasta and adjust the seasoning as needed with extra salt or crushed red pepper flakes.
Serve: Serve the pasta immediately while it’s hot, garnished with any toppings you prefer, such as fresh parsley, grated Parmesan cheese, or a sprinkle of lemon zest.
