Aglio Olio e Peperoncino Pasta
Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino Pasta
Aglio e olio — just garlic, olive oil, and pasta — simple and delicious. I love adding parsley and a pinch of crushed red pepper to make aglio, olio, e peperoncini.
Serve a salad or another vegetable to start, then a plate of this pasta and some fresh fruit for a balanced, satisfying meal — and an easy Italian dinner.
I often serve a small portion as a primi piatti — first course — either to stretch leftovers or to feed a crowd of my kids’ friends.
There’s no need to fret about exact measurements — just heat olive oil and add garlic — but I’ll give you some guidelines. After you’ve made it once or twice, you’ll be able to do it by heart, which makes it even easier to prepare.
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: Servings: 4 Main Dish 8 Primi Piatti
Ingredients
16 ounces of spaghetti or capellini
5 to 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 to 4 garlic cloves
Optional:
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
A handful of fresh Italian parsley, about 1/3 cup
Parmesan cheese
Celtic or sea salt, to taste
Instructions
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve about about a ½ cup of the pasta water before draining.
While the pasta cooks, finely mince the garlic and parsley.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook over low heat for a few minutes until the garlic is soft — sometimes I cook the garlic until browned, which creates a slightly caramelized flavor.
Add the drained pasta to the skillet, season with sea salt, and add some pasta water, one tablespoon at a time, to loosen the noodles and help the sauce stick to the pasta.
Add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired; toss and serve.
- Aglio e olio — always a little different, always delicious.
