Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, pronounced ah-lee-oh eh oh-lee-oh.

Sinyo and I saw this classic pasta dish on menus in the pizza restaurants during our trip to Jakarta last year. He loved it so much and kept asking for the same menu. When we had dinner with friends or with different friends the following night, at a different restaurant, he stuck to the same menu. 

It’s ultra-easy to make with just few ingredients — garlic (aglio), olive oil (olio), spaghetti, a hint of red chile peppers and garnish. I just use a generous pinch of crushed red pepper flakes from our pantry. Yes, because chili pepper is the other key ingredient in this recipe. In fact, it’s one of the traditional Italian dishes that has to be spicy. You can’t remove the chili pepper, otherwise you make another dish! Italian doesn't put stock powder on the pasta but some people may like to put it.

Spaghetti: Or linguine, fettuccine, or any other shape of pasta noodle you prefer.

Olive oil: Since olive oil is the main ingredient in this sauce, I really recommend using the best-quality extra virgin olive oil you can find. It will make a difference!

Garlic: I admittedly like tons of garlic in this pasta (like, closer to 10-12 cloves). But it is traditionally made with between 4-8 cloves. So you do what sounds best to you!

Crushed red pepper flakes: Traditional spaghetti aglio e olio is made with fresh peperoncini (red hot chile peppers) that are commonly found throughout Italy. But since they are harder to find in other countries, I have written this recipe using dried crushed red pepper flakes, which we will simmer in the olive oil to bring out their best flavor.

Optional garnishes: The two most popular toppings for this classic Italian dish are sprinkled with chopped basil, grated Parmesan.If you would like your pasta to have more heat, feel free to double (or even triple!) the amount of crushed red pepper flakes. I love adding them all, but they are totally optional.

I had spaghetti aglio e ollio for my lunch today. Yumm!

Jackie | Balaclava

SPAGHETTI AGLIO E OLLIO

Spaghetti
1/2 cup good-quality olive oil
6 to 8 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes or more, to taste
Basil 

Parmesan cheese

optimal: stock powder - but original spaghetti Aglio o Olie doesn't use it. 

To make classic spaghetti aglio e olio, simply…

1. Cook the spaghetti. Cook the spaghetti in a generously salted pot of boiling water until it is just one minute shy of being al dente.

2. Sauté the garlic. 

Meanwhile, about 3 minutes after you add the pasta to the boiling water, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and sauté until the garlic is lightly golden.

3. Toss the pasta in the sauce. 

Once the pasta is ready to go, use tongs to transfer the pasta immediately to the sauté pan, along with 1/4 cup of the hot starchy pasta water. Toss the pasta continuously until it is evenly coated in the garlic sauce. If the sauce looks a bit too dry, add another 1/4 cup of the starchy pasta water.

4. Taste and season. 

Give the pasta a quick taste add an extra pinch of salt and/or crushed red pepper flakes if needed.

5. Serve. 

Serve immediately while it’s nice and hot, garnished with any toppings that sound good.