Pasta Aglio e Olio may seem hard to pronounce but it’s not hard to eat. I can shovel fork full after fork full into my mouth so quickly you won’t believe it. I have been eating this dish my whole life. I can remember my grandmother making this all the time because my grandpa loved garlic and that is the main ingredient of this dish. Fresh minced garlic is sautéed in extra virgin olive oil with crushed red pepper flakes and parsley. That’s it! It doesn’t get any easier. My daughter Sophia loves this pasta dish so much that it is my go-to when I just don’t know what to make for dinner. I usually have all the ingredients on hand so it’s a no-brainer. If you aren’t familiar with this classic Italian dish I hope you give it a try.
Here’s what you need to make pasta Aglio e olio:
This recipe calls for very simple ingredients. To start you need about eight cloves of fresh garlic, finely minced. To that, one teaspoon of red pepper chili flakes and some fresh parsley. You will cook all of this using good extra virgin olive oil. I like to cook this dish in a large skillet with high sides. For the pasta, spaghetti or angel hair is my pasta of choice. Angel hair pasta, also known as Capellini cooks up faster than spaghetti so that’s a plus in my book. Last, but not least you need about half a cup of fresh grated Pecorino Romano cheese. If you can’t find this cheese, Parmesan-Reggiano cheese is a good alternative.
Here’s how to make this traditional Italian dish:
First, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. This will take a few minutes. Follow the package directions to cook pasta. So, while we wait for the water to boil let’s prep our ingredients.
Let’s begin with the garlic. I like to finely mince the garlic, but if you prefer thin garlic slices that is ok as well. Next, roughly mince the parsley. I recommend using flat leaf Italian parsley not the curly parsley that you find as a garnish on your plate at most diners. Flat leaf parsley kind of resembles cilantro so be sure you are grabbing the right herb! You need about 1/3 cup. After you’ve chopped it up divide the pile and set it aside. Half will be cooked and the other half will be tossed in at the end.
Fresh parsley vs. dried parsley
This dish can be made using dried parsley, but the measurements are very different. Dried herbs are more concentrated so you need less than you would if using fresh. If you don’t have fresh parsley then try substituting about 4 teaspoons of dried parsley. I recommend adding all of it so it can be cooked with garlic. No need to add any at the end.
Time to cook!
Now that the garlic and parsley are prepped, warm the olive oil in a large pan, preferably with high sides. There is a large amount of olive oil in this recipe, but that is all that we will be using in terms of pasta sauce. So don’t add less, if anything, add more!
Once the oil is warm it will start to shimmer a bit that is when you add in the garlic, parsley, and crushed red pepper flakes. Make sure the heat is not too high, keep it at medium-low heat, and stir a little bit. You just want the garlic to soften and become fragrant. This takes only about a minute or two. Try to avoid browning the garlic because then it goes from delicious garlic to bitter garlic and you don’t want that! You are trying to create a garlic sauce that is full of tasty garlicky flavor.
Turn the heat off and add your cooked pasta and toss to coat the noodles. You should have reserved at least a cup of pasta water before you drained the noodles. Starchy pasta water can be added a little bit at a time to keep the pasta from being dry. Once the pasta has been tossed a bit add the remaining chopped parsley, salt, black pepper, and cheese and combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Now divide the pasta evenly and serve in big bowls. Sometimes I like a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over the top of each bowl with another sprinkle of parsley and a pinch of red pepper flakes. I also give everyone a lemon wedge because a squeeze of fresh lemon juice adds just enough acid to freshen up the dish.
Let’s eat Pasta Aglio e Olio!
Feel free to serve this with a side of roasted broccoli or a simple mixed green salad with garlic bread. It can also be done as a side dish to roasted chicken or even a grilled steak. Whatever you decide, this easy meal is a simple recipe for a busy weeknight that your whole family will enjoy!
Here are more easy recipes to try!
Brown Butter Pasta with spicy sausage
Pasta Aglio e Olio
Pasta Aglio e Olio is a simple Italian dish that gets its flavor from fresh garlic, olive oil, crushed red pepper, and parsley. Tossed in angel hair pasta and topped with Romano cheese. Simple, delicious, perfection!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley, finely minced & divided
- 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese plus more for topping
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 12-16 oz dried angel hair pasta (reserve pasta water)
- 1 cups of reserved pasta water
Instructions
1. Heat oil. Add garlic, half of the parsley, & red pepper, and cook for 1-2 min. Just until the garlic is soft and fragrant. You do not want the garlic to be brown or crispy. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
2. Turn off the heat and add cooked pasta, remaining chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and cheese.
3. Toss to combine and evenly coat noodles.
4. Divide evenly into 4 bowls and top with more grated cheese.
Notes
- The best pasta to use for this dish is either angel hair or spaghetti. Other kinds are fine, but I just prefer the long noodle.
- When draining the cooked pasta be sure to reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water. You can then add it at the end if the pasta seems a bit dry. Only add a little at a time, start with a 1/4 cup and then stir, continue until the pasta has the right consistency. You can also add a drizzle of olive oil to help with dryness.
- Be sure to taste and season at the end. More salt and pepper will be needed if you continue to add the pasta water.
- I like to add a squeeze of fresh lemon to my bowl of pasta. It adds the perfect amount of acidity to the dish and makes it taste fresh!
- I recommend using fresh Italian flat leaf parsley in this dish. Do not buy the curly parsley that is commonly used as a garnish on plates in restaurants.
- If you don't have fresh parsley, it's okay to use dry just make sure to adjust the amount. Dried herbs have a stronger flavor so you don't need as much. You would use 4 teaspoons of dried parsley. Only add it at the beginning when you are cooking the garlic. I don't like to add dried parsley at the end, it isn't necessary.
