Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Ingredients

• 1 lb spaghetti
• 6 fresh garlic (6-8 cloves, thinly sliced or minced)
• 0.5 tbsp red chili flakes (Or 1 fresh red chili, diced)
• 0.333 cup olive oil (1/3 cup)
• salt (Generously salt the pasta water; add an extra pinch if needed)
• 0.5 cup starchy pasta water (Reserve an additional 1/4 cup if the sauce is too dry)
• fresh parsley (Chopped, for garnish)
• Parmesan cheese (Freshly grated, for garnish)

Steps

1. 1

   Bring a large stockpot of generously salted water to a boil.

2. 2

   Add the spaghetti and cook until nearly al dente.

3. 3

   Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the hot, starchy pasta water, plus an additional 1/4 cup if needed later.

4. 4

   Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.

5. 5

   Add the sliced or minced garlic and the red chili flakes, or the diced fresh red chili, to the oil.

6. 6

   Sauté for 3-5 minutes, until the garlic is lightly golden.

7. 7

   Add the nearly cooked pasta and 1/2 cup of the hot starchy pasta water to the sauté pan.

8. 8

   Toss the pasta continuously until it is evenly coated in the garlic sauce. If the sauce looks too dry, add the reserved additional 1/4 cup of pasta water.

9. 9

   Taste the pasta and add an extra pinch of salt and/or crushed red pepper flakes if needed.

10. 10

    Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley, then serve.

Notes

The source does not specify exact amounts for the parsley or Parmesan garnish. It also does not state a final cooking time after the pasta is added to the sauce.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• pasta
• vegetarian
• Italian
• one-pot
• stovetop
• quick meal