Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, pronounced ah-li-oh ee o-li-oh, is a traditional Italian dish made with just pasta, garlic, simple seasonings, and olive oil. This easy, economical pasta recipe takes less than 20 minutes and is filled with so much delicious garlicky flavor!
Spaghetti aglio e olio shows how basic pantry ingredients can make something so flavorful and satisfying–perhaps more than any other Italian classic! Like cacio e pepe or minestrone soup, it’s a weeknight-friendly recipe that proves you don’t need fancy ingredients to make something to feed the whole family.
In fact, aglio e olio gets its name from its short ingredient list, “aglio” meaning garlic and “olio” meaning oil. In its most traditional form, it’s just cooked pasta tossed in garlic, olive oil, and pasta water.
Keep this recipe in your back pocket for busy nights when you don’t feel like going to the grocery store. As long as you have a bag of pasta, extra virgin olive oil and garlic on hand, dinner is on your table by the time the pasta is cooked!
Table of Contents
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio Ingredients
Pasta aglio e olio uses just a handful of basic pantry ingredients. Here’s what you need:
Must-Haves
- Spaghetti: Thin noodles are traditional and absorb the sauce well, but you can really use anything you like or have on hand.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Be sure to use high-quality extra virgin olive oil, as this is one of the main ingredients. I love smooth, buttery Italian Nocellara EVOO for this recipe, but any of the oils from our shop would work well.
- Garlic: You'll need a good bit of garlic here as a main flavor-maker–at least 8 cloves. You can add more if you’d like but I do not recommend using less. It’s in the name after all!
- Salt: You want to salt pasta water like the sea! Seasoned water adds flavor to the cooked pasta.
Optional Additions
In this spaghetti aglio e olio recipe, I spice things up with a few optional additions—chili flakes, Parmesan, and parsley. When it comes to your personal version feel free to keep it super simple or use any of my favorite ad-ons.
- Red pepper flakes: Brings a nice kick that adds depth and intrigue to the rich olive oil sauce.
- Parmesan: Not traditional, but adds an umami flavor. Leave it off to make this a vegan pasta recipe.
- Parsley: Used for garnish, a sprinkle of parsley leaves add color and freshness.
How to Make Aglio e Olio
This easy pasta aglio e olio recipe comes together in under 30 minutes! It’s perfect for a quick dinner in a pinch. Here’s how you make it:
- Get ready. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water well (with about 1 tablespoon of kosher salt). Peel and thinly slice 8 garlic cloves.
- Cook the pasta and reserve the water. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until just before al dente (mine took about 9 minutes). Before you drain the pasta, reserve 1 ½ cups of the pasta’s cooking water.
- Meanwhile, gently cook the garlic. About 4 minutes after you start cooking the pasta, warm ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir until it’s just beginning to turn golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Be sure to turn the heat down if necessary so that the garlic does not burn.
- Season the garlicky oil (optional). When the garlic has just started to brown, add ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes (if using) and toss for 30 seconds or so. If the pasta is not ready, move the oil off the heat until the pasta is done.
- Incorporate the pasta water. If you removed the pan from the heat, return it to medium heat once you’ve drained the cooked pasta. Whisk the reserved pasta water into the oil and bring to a simmer until the liquid reduces by about ⅓.
- Coat the pasta in the sauce. Add the cooked pasta and stir until it’s nicely coated in the sauce and cooked to your liking. Turn the heat off.
- Dress up the pasta (optional). Add ⅓ cup of grated parmesan and a handful of chopped parsley leaves (if using). Toss once more to combine.
- Rest and serve. Allow the pasta a couple of minutes to rest and absorb the sauce. Optionally, serve with more parmesan and red pepper flakes on the side.
What to Serve with Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
I think of spaghetti aglio e olio as a super quick and easy weeknight dinner, so I’m usually serving it on its own. It’s filling enough without any side dishes.
If I’m dealing with a very hungry household, I throw a bowl of olive oil and balsamic vinegar with some crusty bread or focaccia on my kitchen island while I get the pasta ready.
If I’m craving something fresh, a crunchy salad complements the rich and velvety sauce nicely. Lemon parmesan lettuce salad or panzanella salad both come to mind.
If you want to serve this as a side dish, it would pair well with simple proteins like: Chicken Schnitzel, Italian-style baked chicken breasts or salmon. You can slice the chicken or fish and serve it on top of the pasta.
How to Store Leftovers
Aglio e olio is best served immediately, as the oil will separate as it cools. That said, you can keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat on the stovetop with a splash of water, tossing frequently to reincorporate the oil.
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Buttery smooth Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil from hand-picked, cold-extracted Nocellara olives.
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Ingredients
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- Kosher salt
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, or more to your liking)
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan (optional, or more to your liking)
- Chopped parsley (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta and reserve the water. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water well (with about 1 tablespoon of kosher salt). Once boiling, add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until just before al dente (mine took about 9 minutes). Before you drain the pasta, reserve 1 ½ cups of the pasta’s cooking water.
- Gently cook the garlic. About 4 minutes after you add the pasta to the boiling water, warm the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir until it’s just beginning to turn golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Be sure to turn the heat down if necessary so that the garlic does not burn.
- Season the garlicky oil (optional). When the garlic has just started to brown, add the red pepper flakes (if using) and toss for 30 seconds or so. If the pasta is not ready, move the oil off the heat until the pasta is done.
- Incorporate the pasta water. If you removed the pan from the heat, return it to medium heat once you’ve drained the cooked pasta. Whisk the reserved pasta water into the oil and bring to a simmer until the liquid reduces by about ⅓.
- Coat the pasta in the sauce. Add the cooked pasta and stir until it’s nicely coated in the sauce and cooked to your liking. Turn the heat off and add the parmesan and parsley (if using). Toss once more to combine
- Rest and serve. Allow the pasta a couple of minutes to rest and absorb the sauce before serving. Optionally, enjoy with more parmesan and red pepper flakes on the side.
Video
Notes
- Garlic burns easily. Keep a careful eye on the garlic as you cook it and adjust the heat as needed. You are looking for a slight golden color. If it starts to burn, the best thing to do is to start over with new olive oil and garlic. Burnt garlic will be very bitter–not the taste you want on this simple dish!
- Use quality extra virgin olive oil as it is a main ingredient in the sauce. You can browse my favorite olive oils at our shop. Buttery and smooth Italian Nocellara EVOO is a logical choice here, but if you like something with a more robust peppery finish, try our Greek Early Harvest or Spanish Hojiblanca EVOO.
- Leftovers: Aglio e Olio is best served fresh, but if you have leftovers, store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a pan with a splash of water, stirring to reincorporate the oil.
- Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams, and spices.
Nutrition
*This post has recently been updated with new information for readers’ benefit.
Man this was good. My husband and I were eating it out of the pot and having to force ourselves to stop because the chicken wasn’t done yet lol. Definitely saving this recipe to my favorites!
Awesome! Thanks, Giovanna!
How much of the 1.5 cups of reserved pasta water do you add back to the oil and garlic? In the video it shows you only adding a partial amount of the reserved 1.5 cups but your instructions say to add it all back.
Hi, there! I'm Summer and I work here at The Mediterranean Dish. You add as much as you need to help the sauce coat the noodles. I will likely only be a splash or two.
I just made this last night to go with our grilled salmon and it was fantastic!! I am a huge pasta fan and could basically eat it every day. I can't wait for leftovers today, this is so good and so darn easy to make!! Thank you for sharing this great recipe!!
Hi, Elizabeth! What a lovely note to read! So glad you liked the recipe and pairing it with salmon sounds like a great idea. Here's another one of our favorite pasta recipes!
An absolute classic, great for a late night supper.
For variety, or if you're not keen on chilli, substitute anchovy fillets or a grating of bottarga to taste.
Hi, Andrew! So glad you like the recipe. Love your suggestions. Thanks for sharing your ideas!
Can you make this without the parmesean?
Hi, Nina. Sure, it's possible, but it will be missing some of the creaminess and flavor.
I love Aglea e olia ever since my Italian Uncle introduced me to it many years ago .Now cooking for myself I always wondered how to get the sauce so creamy. Now I know reserve some of the starchy water the pasta was cooked in. This is the ingredient that is missing in mine, but no longer thanks to you and this site. I'm sure my Uncle told me this tip but I've just forgotten. So thanks so much for this info. I love the low budget Italian dishes like Pasta Fazoul, and this Aglea e olia for their simplicity and the way food prices are escalating we may all be eating like peasants before long. My Uncle called these Italian peasant dishes
Since this recipe has my namesake (my last name is Aglio), it's a staple dish for me...delicious! Sometimes I add olives, too.
Yum! Thanks, Susan!
I add some anchovies
Thanks so much for the suggestion, Pat! I love that idea!
the best!!!
and so are you, suzy....
happy new year