Spaghetti Aglio E Olio
Hi friends!
I tried a new recipe and couldn’t resist sharing it here with you. After all, who can pass up a great recipe?!
The dish is called Spaghetti Aglio E Olio, which translates to English as spaghetti with garlic and oil. Yum! What I love about this dish is it’s quick and simple to make, yet tastes absolutely exquisite - like fine dining. I could imagine this dish on a menu at an upscale restaurant. This dish is definitely a well-hidden gem.
My number one advice when making this dish is to use a high quality olive oil, as this is what gives the dish its underlying flavour and elevates it to the next level. I used Cobram Estate Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Robust Flavour. All I can say is WOW. The taste is impeccable. It’s more expensive than your run of the mill olive oil, but it lasts for many dishes and is worth the small investment.
For bigger families, I suggest doubling the recipe. We are a family of 6 and doubling the recipe made it go a lot further, including leftovers the next day. If you have kids, I suggest holding the chili flakes to the side and sprinkling them on your individual portions. My kids tend to shy away from spicy foods - although we give them ample opportunity to expand their palettes!
Ingredients
1 Box Spaghetti of choice (I subbed for gluten free)
Salt (for pasta water)
3 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil (high quality)
1 Head of Garlic, minced
1/4 Cup Parmesan Reggiano Cheese (grated or powdered)
1/2 TSP Chili Flakes
1/4 Cup Pasta Water, set aside (Yes! You can reserve gluten free pasta water and it adds to the dish just the same)
Topping
Drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Parmesan Reggiano Cheese
Chopped Parsley
Method
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add a wooden spoonful of salt to the water and stir. Cook pasta according to the directions on the box/bag.
While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over low heat. Add garlic and sauté for one to two minutes, until it begins turning a light golden-brown. Add chili flakes and stir for 30 seconds. Remove the frying pan from the heat.
Note: garlic burns fast - if you notice it’s cooking too quickly, remove the pan from the heat ASAP!
When the pasta is fully cooked, set aside 1/4 cup of the pasta water and drain. Place spaghetti back in the large pot and add the pasta water and olive oil mixture to the spaghetti - toss spaghetti to incorporate well (I use tongs).
Add parmesan cheese to the spaghetti and toss again to combine. Dish out individual servings and top with drizzled olive oil, additional Parmesan Reggiano, and chopped parsley. Enjoy!
And there you have it! This was my go-to when my husband went on a work trip to Australia. It made for a cozy dinner that was easy enough to prepare while I was solo parenting my four children. And what a treat it was! I got to enjoy it while watching Ratatouille with my close friend, Ari.
If you try this recipe - feel free to reach out to me to let me know how it went!
