🍝🧄 Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
A classic Italian pasta made with just a few simple ingredients—garlic, olive oil, chili, and spaghetti—but full of bold flavor.
🧾 Ingredients:
- 250g spaghetti
- 4–6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- â…“ cup olive oil
- ½ tsp red chili flakes (adjust to taste)
- Salt (for pasta water)
- Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
- Grated Parmesan (optional, not traditional but popular)
🔪 Instructions:
1. Cook pasta
- Boil spaghetti in salted water until al dente
- Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain
2. Infuse the oil
- Heat olive oil in a pan on low-medium heat
- Add sliced garlic and cook gently until golden (not brown)
- Add chili flakes and stir briefly
3. Combine
- Add cooked spaghetti to the pan
- Toss well in the garlic-chili oil
- Add a splash of reserved pasta water to create a light sauce
4. Finish
- Sprinkle parsley
- Add Parmesan if desired
🍽️ Result:
Simple, silky spaghetti coated in aromatic garlic oil with a gentle chili kick—light, elegant, and deeply satisfying.
🔥 Pro Tips:
- Don’t burn the garlic—it turns bitter fast
- Use good-quality olive oil for best flavor
- Pasta water is key for emulsifying the sauce
🧠Variations:
- Add shrimp or chicken for protein
- Toss in spinach or cherry tomatoes
- Make it extra spicy with more chili flakes
If you want, I can also make a restaurant-style creamy version, a high-protein gym meal version, or a 10-minute ultra-fast version.