This recipe's name may be a tongue twister, but there is nothing twisted about using simple ingredients to make the most delicious pasta meal. Just olive oil, garlic, a touch of red pepper flakes, and fresh parsley work together to create a spectacular aglio e olio.
The other day my friend texted asking me if "olio e olio" was a real thing. Apparently her husband was on the phone ordering takeout and insisting this was a real pasta dish to the inexperienced teenage girl taking orders on the other side of the line. I couldn't help but laugh thinking she must have meant "aglio e olio." Trust me, don't even attempt to type that into your phone because the auto corrects are hilarious. After convincing her that he wasn't looking for "agility and oil changes" but "aglio e olio" I realized that I wasn't even aware of the proper pronunciation. To me there is nothing worse than attempting to pronounce something Italian and being forced to use an Italian accent. I opted to send her over YouTube videos of old grandmothers from the homeland making the dish to ensure proper pronunciation.
While the name is complicated, the recipe is anything but. All you need for a traditional flavorful pasta dish is olive oil of course, garlic (a lot of it), just a hint of red pepper flakes, and fresh parsley. I like to top mine with some toasted breadcrumbs for a little crunch but that is totally optional. I also have made it before using parmesan cheese, however today I decided to keep it classic. The real point of the dish is highlighting the olive oil and the garlic. Not to sound like Ina Garten but use good olive oil if you can. It is really the star of the show.
In terms of the pasta, I like to use a long pasta rather than short. But hey, if all you have is short pasta, go for it. This is a meal that you don't really have to shop or plan for. It's more of a make on a whim kind of dinner. I love bucatini but I didn't have any on hand and certainly wasn't going to go out to the store for it, so I used spaghetti, which is honestly more traditional anyway.
Ingredients:
1 pound dried spaghetti
Kosher salt
1/3 cup good olive oil
8 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
1 1/2 cups reserved pasta water
breadcrumbs (optional to garnish)
1. Cook pasta according to package directions making sure to properly salt your water. When pasta is done cooking, reserve 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water for the sauce.
2. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pot (large enough to hold the pasta). Add in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes making sure to stir frequently so that the garlic doesn't burn. Add in the red pepper flakes and ground black pepper and cook for another 30 seconds.. Add in the pasta water and bring to a boil. Simmer the sauce for five minutes until sauce has reduced by a third.
3. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss together with tongs. Add in the fresh parsley and continue to toss. Let the pasta sit for 5 minutes before serving so that the sauce absorbs into the pasta. Serve with breadcrumbs to top if desired.
1 pound dried spaghetti
Kosher salt
1/3 cup good olive oil
8 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
1 1/2 cups reserved pasta water
breadcrumbs (optional to garnish)
1. Cook pasta according to package directions making sure to properly salt your water. When pasta is done cooking, reserve 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water for the sauce.
2. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pot (large enough to hold the pasta). Add in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes making sure to stir frequently so that the garlic doesn't burn. Add in the red pepper flakes and ground black pepper and cook for another 30 seconds.. Add in the pasta water and bring to a boil. Simmer the sauce for five minutes until sauce has reduced by a third.
3. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss together with tongs. Add in the fresh parsley and continue to toss. Let the pasta sit for 5 minutes before serving so that the sauce absorbs into the pasta. Serve with breadcrumbs to top if desired.
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