Three Simple Steps to Cook Delicious Spaghetti Aglio E Olio

Aglio E Olio is an Italian classic that anyone can make at home. In fact, it's probably the easiest pasta recipe there is. All you need is spaghetti, garlic, parsley, and some extra virgin olive oil and you are good to go! I find it outrageous that some restaurants sell Aglio E Olio at exorbitant prices even though it doesn't cost much to make at home. So, I'm going to try to fix that with by showing you how to prepare it yourself.

What we will be cooking here is most basic Aglio E Olio recipe - just oil, garlic, parsley, and pasta. Traditional Aglio E Olio isn't served with any cheese or meat, but of course there are countless variations out there. Every Italian household in the world would have their own recipe, just like how every town in the Philippines makes adobo or pancit a little bit differently. I suggest you just experiment with different flavors by adding some shrimp, cheese, and chili flakes along the way to make it even more delicious. 


Difficulty: Easy
Yields: 5 Servings
Total Cost: 125 pesos
Cost Per Serving: 25 pesos

Ingredients:
450g Pack of Spaghetti
2 Whole Garlic Bulbs, chopped
30g Parsley, chopped
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Optional: Parmesan Cheese and Red Chili Flakes

Preparation: 

1. Cook Spaghetti pasta according to package instructions. You would usually cook the pasta in boiling water that's seasoned generously with salt for around 10-11 minutes, with the lid kept open. It's important to make sure you save around 1 cup of pasta water upon straining so that the Aglio Olio isn't too dry. 
2. Place the chopped garlic and extra virgin olive oil in the pan and cook over medium heat (130°C) until slightly brown in the edges, normally this takes around 2-3 minutes.
3. Mix in the garlic sauce with the pasta and pasta water. Add in the chopped parsley, season with pepper to taste, and toss together. 

You can also add in red chili pepper flakes on the second step right after the garlic is cooked, or you can add Parmesan during the third step right before tossing the pasta. You can event opt not to add them at all, but these extra ingredients do take the recipe to a whole new level. 

It's also important to cook the chopped garlic in extra virgin olive oil from the beginning, so that all that garlic flavor is infused in the oil making the pasta taste a lot better.

I hope you enjoy this Aglio E Olio recipe. Don't forget to share the recipe with your friends if you like it!

If you think this is great, then you might want to try this amazing Three-Herb Pesto pasta recipe.

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Cheers,
Chef Jay