Garlic Spaghetti (Garlic and Olive Oil Pasta) (2024)

Garlic Spaghetti (spaghetti aglio e oilo) is a quick and easy pasta recipe perfect any night of the week. With thinly sliced garlic pieces, crisp chilli flakes, a dose of olive oil and al dente spaghetti this is a recipe you will make again and again. Garlic and olive oil pasta involves minimal effort yet delivers maximum deliciousness.

Recipes like the Spaghetti Alfredo, Pesto Spaghetti and the Spaghetti Bolognese are all about using spaghetti as the pasta.

The Chicken Spaghetti Bolognese, Pork Bolognese and the Lamb Bolognese see us using proteins other than beef for pasta.

🤍 Recipe Highlights

I have summarised everything that you will come to know and love (LOVE ❤) about this simple pasta dish in the points below:

• Quick and easy: this recipe will get dinner on the table quickly! From start to finish you are looking at only 15 minutes of your time.
• Easy to find ingredients: you will be able to get everything you need to make this comfort food from your local grocery store. They are year round available, easy to get your hands on ingredients.
• Budget friendly: this is a cost effective recipe that won't break the bank. The spend is minimal yet that doesn't mean that the flavors within the dish are any less enjoyable.
• Taste and texture: the simple ingredients in the recipe each deliver a depth of flavor and the textures allow for a crisp and al dente pasta with a silky sauce. It is a winning combination.
• Fuss free and effortless: sometimes you want great flavour but no hard work. This is the recipe for those nights. With simple ingredients and a focus on the combination of ingredients, all of your boxes will be ticked!

🥗 Ingredients

The photo below is to show you everything you need to make the recipe. Please refer to the printable recipe card for specific ingredient measurements as well as detailed instructions.

As you can see the recipe calls for:

• Olive oil: extra virgin olive oil is best. Instead of a thick creamy or tomato based pasta sauce, this recipe is all about the combination of olive oil, red chilli flakes and sliced garlic. It is a slick spaghetti with a ton of flavor.
• Garlic: fresh garlic cloves are needed. Skin peeled and ends cut off. Then we slice the garlic into thin pieces. As these fry in the olive oil they become a little crispy, browned and simply delicious.
• Red chilli flakes: this ingredient adds a touch of heat to the dish and is simply not to be missed. The flavors dance around in your mouth after consumption and are positively delightful.
• Parsley: fresh parsley is best! We need fresh herbs on top of the pasta to add colour and texture. The parsley adds an Italian flavour and taste to the dish.
• Parmesan cheese: you can choose to grate your own or use store bought grated cheese. Choose a sharp parmesan cheese that is bold in flavour.
• Spaghetti: we want to cook the pasta till it is al dente which means it is a little bit chewy.

Top Tip: I like to provide you with a number of substitutions and variations giving you an array of options when making my recipes. If in doubt of any of the above ingredients, or wanting alternatives, read this section (further below) before jumping into the instructions on how to make the recipe which are coming next 😉👌.

🍳 Instructions

Here are the step by step instructions to make the garlic spaghetti recipe. We start by frying off the oil.

• Add the oil, garlic and chilli flakes and fry (Photo 1)
• Cook the spaghetti (Photo 2)
• Add the cooked spaghetti to the garlic mixture (Photo 3)
• Toss to combine (Photo 4)

👩‍🍳 How to Make Garlic Spaghetti

To make the garlic spaghetti, start by placing a large frying pan onto the stove top and turning the heat to high.

Add the olive oil, sliced garlic pieces and red chilli flakes. Cook these, stirring as you go for 2-3 minutes.

The garlic will soften and edge towards golden brown. The chilli flakes will crisp up and strengthen their colour.

Next read and follow the package directions to cook the spaghetti in a medium sauce pan of boiling salted water.

When the spaghetti is al dente (a little chewy) use a colander over the sink to drain it and discard the water.

Next add the cooked spaghetti to the olive oil sauce as you see me having done in the photo above 😉👍.

Then use tongs to toss the spaghetti so that it is consistently mixed throughout.

• Garnish the dish (Photo 5)

Once the dish is combined get your garnish on using a combination of black pepper sprinkled over the top as well as some finely chopped parsley and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

If you are a pasta and garlic bread person, you might like pairing this spaghetti with the Tortilla Garlic Bread, Garlic Ciabatta or the Garlic Pizza Bread.

For a side dish, try the Caprese Salad, Panzanella Salad or the Fresh Herb Salad.

This pasta goes down a treat with a chilled glass of pinot gris or a pinot grigio. For a red wine pairing, try serving it with a smooth glass of pinot noir.

Garlic lovers, this one is for you 😘👌.

👍 How to Guide

How to Store

Store leftover spaghetti in an airtight container in the fridge. It can be kept for up to 3 days and is best reheated before being consumed.

How to Freeze

Allow the dish to fully cool. Then portion into airtight containers and freeze for up to 3 months.

How to Reheat

Reheat the pasta on a plate with cling wrap in the microwave for 2-3 minutes until warmed through. Or thaw frozen leftovers and add them back to a saucepan on the stove. Add a drizzle of olive oil to leftovers to ensure that they are not dry.

😉 Substitutions and Variations

Here are my sub ins and outs that you might be thinking about as you read the post and I will tell you if I think they will work or why they won't:

• Long pasta works best for the recipe. You can use fettuccine or linguine as alternatives to the spaghetti if you wish too.
• I don't recommend substituting minced garlic for the recipe. The garlic slices are the star of the show and you don't want to miss their performance 😉👌.
• You can use fresh basil leaves in place of the parsley if you prefer to.
• In place of the parmesan cheese, you can use pecorino romano cheese.
• You can reduce the amount of red chilli flakes if you are not a hot spice flavor person.

💡 Tasty Tips

Here are mytop tipsandtricksthat I want to share with you so that you master the recipe from the get go:

• Overcooking the garlic will mean that it browns too much and looses its flavor. We want it to be lightly browned as well as soft, melt in your mouth like.
• It is ok to reduce the heat to low if the garlic and chilli is cooked but the pasta is not ready yet. You can toss then turn the heat back up to allow the dish to heat through 😉👌.
• We want to pasta to have a little texture to it. This is known as 'al dente' where it is cooked to the point of having a little bit of chew to it still. This saves it being overcooked and texture less.

🤓 Frequently Asked Questions

What does Aglio Olio mean?

Aglio Olio is the super fancy way of saying spaghetti with olive oil and garlic!A hugely popular Italian dish, it is the combination of simple ingredients, paired together that make it next level delicious.

How long do you cook spaghetti for?

Read and follow the package instructions to cook the pasta. Generally spaghetti will take 8 to 10 minutes until it is al dente.

Can you add raw garlic to pasta?

Garlic is best cooked before being added to pasta. Unless you are using it in a sauce. In which case, add the raw garlic to the sauce, stir to combine and then simmer to soften before combining the sauce with the hot pasta.

😍 More Easy Dinner Recipes

Din dins. It can be your favorite meal to cook and something to look forward to each night. To achieve that it helps to have a diverse range of recipes to turn to that you know will work. Here are some good options.

• Chicken Pesto Linguine
• Mince Pasta Bake
• Fusilli Al Pesto
• Thai Minced Pork
• Garlic Prawn Spaghetti
• Chorizo Pasta Bake
• Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese
• Pork Meatballs In Tomato Sauce
• Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta
• Meatball Rigatoni

It is time to get our garlic and chilli on my friend. You can also find all of my spaghetti recipes or dinner recipes in the one spot.

Adrianne

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