Pasta Aglio e Olio
The ultimate late-night pasta. Deceptively simple, surprisingly complex.
This is the dish you make when you think there's nothing to eat. When your pantry is bare except for pasta, garlic, and olive oil. When it's midnight and you're hungry and nothing else will do.
It's also one of the most technically demanding pasta dishes in existence. The entire thing hinges on creating an emulsion—getting the starchy pasta water to bind with the olive oil into a silky, cohesive sauce. Too much heat and it breaks into greasy puddles. Too little and you get oil-slicked pasta. The window of success is narrow.
But when you nail it? When the sauce clings to every strand, when the garlic is golden and fragrant, when the heat from the red pepper hits just right? It's perfect. And you made it from five ingredients.
Ingredients
- 400g spaghetti or linguine — Use good quality pasta. Bronze-cut if you can find it. The rough surface holds sauce better.
- 6-8 cloves garlic — Thinly sliced. Translucent slices, not chunks. This is critical.
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil — This is not the time for cheap oil. Use the good stuff. You'll taste it.
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes — Adjust to taste. Some like it hot, some prefer subtle warmth.
- Fresh parsley — Chopped. For color, brightness, and a fresh finish.
- Salt — For the pasta water. Use more than you think. The water should taste like the sea.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano — (Optional, controversial) Some purists say no cheese. I say it's your kitchen.
Instructions
- Boil the water. Fill a large pot with water and salt it generously. You want it to taste like the sea—about 1-2 tablespoons of salt per liter of water. Bring to a rolling boil.
- Prep your mise en place. While the water heats, slice your garlic. Thin, even slices are key. They should be nearly translucent. If they're thick, they'll burn before they're fragrant. Have your parsley chopped, your red pepper ready, everything within reach.
- Cook the pasta. Once boiling, add the pasta. Cook it 1-2 minutes less than the package directions. You want it al dente—it will continue cooking when you toss it with the oil. Set a timer and stick to it.
- Start the sauce. About 5 minutes before your pasta is done, heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic slices and red pepper flakes. This is where you need to pay attention.
- Cook the garlic. Let it cook slowly, gently. You want it to turn golden and become fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Stir occasionally. The goal is even browning without burning. If you burn the garlic, you've failed—start over. There's no recovering from burnt garlic.
- Reserve pasta water. Before you drain the pasta, use a measuring cup or ladle to scoop out about 1 cup of the cooking water. This starchy water is liquid gold—it's what makes the emulsion possible.
- Combine. Drain the pasta (don't rinse it) and add it directly to the pan with the garlic oil. Toss immediately to coat every strand.
- Create the emulsion. This is the critical step. Add the pasta water gradually—start with about 1/4 cup. Toss the pasta constantly while keeping the pan over medium heat. The water should emulsify with the oil, creating a creamy, silky sauce that clings to the pasta. If it looks greasy, add more pasta water and keep tossing. If it looks watery, let it cook a bit to evaporate. You want it glossy, cohesive, not separated.
- Finish. Remove from heat. Add the chopped parsley and toss. Taste and adjust salt if needed. The pasta should be perfectly coated, glistening but not swimming in oil.
- Serve immediately. This dish waits for no one. Plate it, add cheese if you're using it, and eat it while it's hot.
Notes & Variations
The Emulsion
The key to this entire dish is the emulsion. The starchy pasta water acts as an emulsifier, binding the water and oil into a cohesive sauce. Too much heat and it breaks into separated oil and water. Too little heat and it never comes together—it stays oily and greasy. The sweet spot is medium heat with constant motion.
The Cheese Question
Traditional aglio e olio has no cheese. It's a "poor man's pasta"—garlic, oil, pasta. Adding Parmigiano-Reggiano is considered by some to be sacrilege. By others, it's a welcome addition. My take: it's your kitchen, your rules. The cheese adds umami depth and richness. Try it both ways and decide.
Variations
- Anchovy: Melt 2-3 anchovy fillets into the oil with the garlic. This adds tremendous umami depth. You won't necessarily taste "fish"—it just makes everything taste more like itself.
- Lemon: Zest and juice of half a lemon at the end adds brightness. Especially good in summer.
- Breadcrumbs: Toasted breadcrumbs on top add texture. Fry them in olive oil until golden and sprinkle over the finished pasta.
- Greens: Wilted spinach or arugula stirred in at the end. Not traditional, but it works.
Common Mistakes
- Burning the garlic (game over, start fresh)
- Not salting the pasta water enough
- Overcooking the pasta
- Not reserving enough pasta water
- Adding too much pasta water at once
- Not tossing constantly during emulsification
- Serving it lukewarm (it must be hot)
Why This Dish Matters
Aglio e olio is a test. It asks: can you execute technique with minimal ingredients? Can you create something delicious from almost nothing? Can you nail the timing, the temperature, the texture?
It's also infinitely satisfying. When you're home late, hungry, and your refrigerator is empty, you can still make this. And it will be good. Maybe great. That's the magic of it.