The ingredient list for spaghetti aglio e olio (spaghetti with garlic and olive oil) is a simple one. But versions we tried strayed from this dish’s humble roots. We wanted to create a creamy pasta according to the traditional method—without the addition of heavy cream or cheese, letting the pasta’s starches do the work of thickening the sauce for us. We started by lightly simmering equal parts garlic and olive oil in a small saucepan to soften the harshness of the garlic and to infuse the oil, waiting until the end to add pepper flakes to prevent burning. Reserving some of the cooking water before draining the pasta—which we removed just before it was fully cooked—allowed us to use the starchy water to create a silky sauce. We simply set the garlic oil, pasta water, and parcooked, drained pasta back overheat in the pasta cooking pot and stirred to create a full-bodied sauce while the pasta finished cooking through. As a final touch, we added 3 tablespoons of parsley for color and vibrancy that melded cohesively with the other flavors.
Notes
- Be sure to use the 3 quarts of water specified in the recipe for cooking the pasta. The starch that the pasta releases into the water is essential to achieving the proper consistency in the sauce.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic - sliced thin
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pound spaghetti
- ½ teaspoon table salt - plus salt for cooking pasta
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Infuse the oil:
- Heat the oil and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until pale golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Off heat, stir in pepper flakes. Set aside.
Partially cook the pasta:
- Meanwhile, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large Dutch oven.
- Add the pasta and 1 tablespoon of salt and cook, stirring often, until the strands are flexible but still very firm in center, about 5 minutes.
- Reserve 3 cups of cooking water, then drain the pasta.
Emulsify the pasta and sauce:
- Combine the pasta, garlic-infused oil mixture, ½ teaspoon of salt, and 2 cups of the reserved cooking water in the now-empty pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Cook, stirring often with tongs and folding the pasta over itself, until the water is mostly absorbed but still pools slightly in the bottom of the pot, about 5 minutes.
Finish and serve:
- Let the pasta sit off heat for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the parsley and additional reserved cooking water as needed (approximately ¼ cup at a time) to adjust the consistency (noodles should be slightly wet, not oily). Serve.