Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (Garlic and Oil Pasta)

by BudgetBites
Prep: 5m
Cook: 15m
vegetarian
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (Garlic and Oil Pasta) - Image

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Ingredients
Servings:4
1lbspaghetti
1/2cupolive oil
8garlic
1/2tspcrushed red pepper flakes
salt
parsley
parmesan cheese
Nutrition Facts

Per serving

Calculating nutrition...

Instructions
  1. 1

    Boil the pasta

    Bring a big pot of well-salted water to a boil and add the spaghetti. Cook until it's one minute shy of al dente. Don't skip salting the water hard here — it's the only real seasoning the pasta gets, and it costs pennies.

  1. 2

    Warm the garlic oil

    About 3 minutes after the pasta goes in, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add 8 thinly sliced garlic cloves and the red pepper flakes and cook 3 to 5 minutes, just until the garlic turns light golden. Watch it — burnt garlic goes bitter and there's no saving it. If the garlic is ready before the pasta, pull the pan off the heat.

  2. 3

    Bring it together

    Use tongs to move the pasta straight into the skillet along with about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water. Toss hard and constantly so the oil and water emulsify into a glossy sauce that coats every strand. If it looks dry, splash in another 1/4 cup of pasta water.

  3. 4

    Taste and serve

    Taste and add another pinch of salt or pepper flakes if it needs it. Serve right away, topped with chopped parsley and grated Parmesan if you've got them.

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Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (Garlic and Oil Pasta)

Created by: BudgetBites

Prep Time: 5m
Cook Time: 15m
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 lb spaghetti
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 8 garlic
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • salt
  • parsley
  • parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Boil the pastaBring a big pot of well-salted water to a boil and add the spaghetti. Cook until it's one minute shy of al dente. Don't skip salting the water hard here — it's the only real seasoning the pasta gets, and it costs pennies.
  2. Warm the garlic oilAbout 3 minutes after the pasta goes in, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add 8 thinly sliced garlic cloves and the red pepper flakes and cook 3 to 5 minutes, just until the garlic turns light golden. Watch it — burnt garlic goes bitter and there's no saving it. If the garlic is ready before the pasta, pull the pan off the heat.
  3. Bring it togetherUse tongs to move the pasta straight into the skillet along with about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water. Toss hard and constantly so the oil and water emulsify into a glossy sauce that coats every strand. If it looks dry, splash in another 1/4 cup of pasta water.
  4. Taste and serveTaste and add another pinch of salt or pepper flakes if it needs it. Serve right away, topped with chopped parsley and grated Parmesan if you've got them.

Notes & Tips

This is about as cheap as a real dinner gets — a pound of pasta, a head of garlic, and some olive oil feeds four for well under a dollar a serving. The trick that makes it taste like more than the sum of its parts is the pasta water: that starchy liquid is what turns plain oil into an actual sauce, so don't drain it all away. Keep a jar of red pepper flakes in the pantry and you can put this on the table in 20 minutes on the broke-est week of the month. Add whatever you've got — a handful of frozen peas, a can of chickpeas, or a fried egg on top all stretch it into something heartier.