Spaghetti Aglio e olio is a traditional Italian pasta dish made with minimal ingredients. The sauce is made with garlic-infused extra virgin olive oil, seasoned with red chilli flakes, and freshly chopped parsley leaves, making this dish outstanding! Ready in under 25 minutes, with just one pan and a pot.
I stumbled upon Spaghetti Aglio e Olio while hunting for pine nut recipes. At first, I wasn't too thrilled - worried about wasting my precious pine nuts and olive oil, you know? But when I saw it on Laura in the Kitchen, I had to try. I was a bit sceptical if F would dig it, but we ended up head over heels for it! Now, this is my go-to dish even on weeknights when I am too tired to cook.
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What is Spaghetti Aglio e Olio?
Aglio e Olio is a traditional Italian pasta, made with just garlic-infused olive oil, spaghetti, and chilli flakes. The name literally translates to "garlic and oil" in Italian, and that is exactly what the sauce is.
Unlike cream-based or tomato-based pastas, the olive oil pasta sauce here is the dish. Which means the quality of your extra virgin olive oil matters more here than in almost any other recipe.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Despite its simplicity, this pasta dish is full of flavour. The garlic, red pepper flakes, and pine nuts infuse the olive oil, creating a rich, aromatic sauce that coats every strand of spaghetti. And who doesn't like a pan-to-plate fuss-free recipe!. Perfect for busy days or pasta cravings.
Being a food blogger, I must showcase recipes from different cultures with genuine respect. I aim to make dishes popular without losing their original essence, just like I did with Horaa Osbao. Excited to share garlic and olive oil spaghetti with you all, hoping it steals your heart just like it did for us!
Ingredients Notes
Garlic (Aglio), olive oil (olio), chilli flakes, parsley, spaghetti and of course salt 😉. I've also added pine nuts, which are not traditional but are highly recommended. They bring a toasty, buttery depth that takes this dish from simple to special. Sometimes, I add Italian dried herb seasoning mix for flavour.
- Spaghetti: You can use any spaghetti, but the cooking time will vary by pasta type.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: As this is an olive oil-based pasta sauce, you must use the best-quality oil for the flavour to come through. You may use good-quality olive oil if you don't have extra-virgin olive oil.
- Garlic: Try using unsprouted ones.
- Chilli flakes: Any hot pepper flakes that you have will work. You may also use thinly sliced fresh red hot pepper.
- pine nuts: optional but HIGHLY recommended.
- parsley leaves: Fresh and lots of it for a burst of colour and freshness.
- Salt and water to boil the pasta
Refer to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this page for a complete list of ingredients and quantities.
Not a fan of pine nuts? Toasted breadcrumbs work beautifully - more on that in the variations section below.
How to Make Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
For the perfect Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, the key is toasting garlic just right-too short, it's raw; too long, it's burnt. Start with oil in a cold pan (no need to preheat). Add thinly sliced garlic to the oil. Cook on low flame until golden. Toss in chilli flakes and pine nuts, and cook till golden. Switch off, pour over the drained pasta, or mix the pasta with the sauce. Toss, serve, and enjoy!
In Photos: How to make
Let me take you through the steps:
Throw the spaghetti into a big pot of boiling, salty water, following the packet instructions. Let it do its thing while we kick off the sauce action.
No need to crank up the heat just yet! Grab a shallow skillet, and toss in the extra virgin olive oil and sliced garlic.
Pop it on the stove, but keep it on low heat. Let the garlic cook until it has a lovely light golden hue.
Sprinkle in those chilli flakes and toss in the pine nuts. Keep the low heat going until the garlic and nuts turn golden-brown.
Once the spaghetti is cooked al dente or fully cooked, transfer it directly from the pot to the skillet using a tong or spaghetti spoon.
Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley for a burst of colour and freshness. Toss the pasta, ensuring every strand is coated. Update: I started adding chopped parsley to the warm sauce before adding the pasta. Either way works great.
If it feels a bit dry, add some more of the pasta water to create a silky sauce. Serve immediately, topped with some grated Parmesan cheese.
The secret to a silky garlic olive oil sauce: skip the colander
Most recipes tell you to drain your spaghetti and separately reserve pasta water. Here's a simpler approach that achieves the same result and is actually more forgiving.
Instead of draining, use a pair of tongs or a spaghetti spoon to scoop the cooked pasta directly from the pot into the pan with your garlic olive oil. A little starchy pasta water naturally comes along for the ride with every scoop, and that's exactly what you want.
Storage
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio is best enjoyed fresh and hot, but if you end up with leftovers or want to prep ahead, here is what I recommend:
Refrigeration: Pop any leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the fridge. Consume within 2-3 days for the best flavour.
Reheating: Gently reheat on the stove or in the microwave. Add a splash of water to maintain that silky texture.
While you can technically freeze pasta, the texture might not be as perfect upon thawing. You can check this article on how to freeze and reheat cooked pasta.
FAQ
Absolutely! While spaghetti is the classic choice, feel free to experiment with other pasta shapes like linguine or fettuccine.
It's best enjoyed fresh, but you can do some prep. Toast the garlic and keep it aside. Finish the dish by tossing the pre-cooked pasta in the warm garlic oil just before serving.
It's a star on its own, but it pairs well with a simple salad, grilled bacon or veggies, or a side of crusty bread for some extra carb happiness.
Variations and substitutions
- Lemon version: Add the zest of half a lemon and a squeeze of juice when tossing - it brightens the olive oil sauce and pairs particularly well with the pine nuts.
- Vegan / dairy-free: Skip the Parmesan garnish, and this dish is naturally 100% vegan. The olive oil sauce is rich enough on its own.
- Toasted breadcrumbs (pangrattato): Skip the pine nuts and try toasted breadcrumbs instead! An Italian chef among my Instagram followers introduced me to this - known as pangrattato, it's the original "poor man's parmesan" from Southern Italy. Just toast coarse breadcrumbs in olive oil with a pinch of garlic and salt until golden, then scatter over the finished pasta.
More Related Recipes
Looking for other Italian recipes? Try these:
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📖 Recipe Card
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Ingredients
For boiling pasta
- 200 grams spaghetti
- 8 to 10 cups water, or as per pack instructions
- 1 tablespoon salt
For garlic olive oil sauce
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
- ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1 to 2 tablespoon pine nuts, optional
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley
Garnish options
- Freshly ground black pepper , optional
- Freshly grated parmesan, optional
Instructions
Boil the Spaghetti
- Boil and drain the spaghetti as per packet instructions. You may have to boil a large pot of water and some salt. Then add the pasta into the boiling water and cook according to package instructions. Meanwhile, start the work on the sauce.200 grams spaghetti8 to 10 cups water or as per pack instructions1 tablespoon salt
Prepare the garlic olive oil sauce
- Do not heat the pan or oil. Take a shallow skillet and add the olive oil and the sliced garlic. Now place this on the stove and turn the heat on low.¼ cup extra virgin olive oil2 to 3 garlic cloves sliced thinly
- Cook on low heat until the garlic starts to change colour to light golden.
- Now, add the chilli flakes and the pine nuts and continue to cook until garlic slices and the nuts turn golden brown. At this stage you can also add a spoon of chopped parsley leaves .¼ teaspoon chilli flakes1 to 2 tablespoon pine nuts optional
Plate and serve
- Scoop out your Spaghetti pasta and add it directly to the prepared sauce using the spaghetti spoon. You may drain and add but remember to reserve pasta water.
- Use a wooden spatula to carefully stir and toss everything together so that the oil coats every strand of pasta. You may add more pasta water.
- Divide into two bowls and garnish it with some freshly ground black pepper or grate some parmesan over the top before serving.2 tablespoon fresh parsleyFreshly ground black pepper optionalFreshly grated parmesan optional
Suzanne says
This will be a regular go-to meal! Simple to make and just so good! Last minute company just dropped by…make this dish!