Aglio e Olio Express Pasta (Printable)

Quick spaghetti coated with garlic-infused olive oil and a touch of red chili flakes.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 7 oz dried spaghetti

→ Infused Olive Oil

02 - 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
03 - 4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
04 - 1 tsp red chili flakes

→ Garnish

05 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
06 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
07 - Sea salt, to taste
08 - 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

# How-To Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook for about 8 minutes until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add sliced garlic and sauté gently, stirring frequently, until fragrant and just beginning to golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Avoid burning the garlic.
03 - Incorporate red chili flakes into the garlic oil and stir for 10 seconds to release flavor.
04 - Add drained spaghetti to the skillet with garlic and chili oil. Toss thoroughly to coat, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
05 - Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from heat, mix in chopped parsley, and plate.
06 - Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's ready before you can set the table, perfect for those nights when you need comfort food now, not in an hour.
  • Three pantry staples—olive oil, garlic, chili—transform into something that tastes like you spent way more time than you actually did.
  • The kitchen smells incredible while it's cooking, which honestly might be half the appeal.
02 -
  • Garlic burns in seconds, not minutes—once you see that pale gold, move it off heat because carryover cooking will turn it bitter and ruin the whole dish.
  • The pasta water is not leftovers, it's essential; that starch is what creates the actual sauce here, binding the oil to the pasta instead of pooling at the bottom of the plate.
03 -
  • Buy the best olive oil you can afford and use this dish as an excuse to taste what you're spending money on—grocery store good is fine, but one splurge will show you the difference.
  • If your pasta water evaporates too quickly, have an extra cup heated in a small pot so you're adding hot liquid to hot pasta, not cooling it down.
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