Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta
- 200 g spaghetti, dry
- 15 g kosher salt
Sauce and Finish
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 g red chili flakes
- 40 g pecorino romano, finely grated
- 5 g fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 731 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbohydrates
- 75 g
- Fat
- 38 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 3400 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 9 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 22 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Potassium
- 287 mg
- Calcium
- 273 mg
- Iron
- 2.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 5 mg
- Phosphorus
- 340 mg
- Zinc
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 31 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 6 mg
- Vitamin E
- 4.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 60 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.02 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.03 mg
- Niacin
- 0.2 mg
- Folate
- 5 mcg
- Water
- 7 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Peel and thinly slice the garlic cloves. Grate the Pecorino Romano and chop the parsley if using.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the kosher salt, then add the spaghetti. Cook until 2 minutes shy of the package directions for al dente.
About 4 minutes before the pasta is ready, combine the extra virgin olive oil, sliced garlic, and chili flakes in a cold, wide skillet. Place over medium-low heat and cook gently until the garlic turns a pale blonde color.
Scoop about 60ml of the starchy pasta cooking water from the pot and carefully pour it into the skillet with the garlic and oil. Simmer vigorously for 1 minute to stop the garlic from cooking further and to create a cloudy emulsion.
Using tongs, transfer the undercooked spaghetti directly from the water into the skillet. Increase the heat to medium. Toss vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes, adding more pasta water a few tablespoons at a time, until the pasta is al dente and coated in a glossy, creamy sauce.
Remove the skillet entirely from the heat. Gradually sprinkle in the grated Pecorino Romano and chopped parsley while tossing continuously to prevent the cheese from clumping. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- The quality of your extra virgin olive oil is paramount here. Since it makes up the body of the sauce, use an oil with a flavor profile you enjoy tasting raw.
- Slicing the garlic rather than mincing it reduces the risk of it burning quickly and provides pleasant, sweet, toasted slivers throughout the dish.
- For maximum flavor extraction from the chili flakes, adding them to the warm oil blooms their volatile compounds, but be careful not to scorch them.
- Pecorino Romano is quite salty. Taste your pasta before adding extra salt at the end; often, the salted pasta water and cheese provide all the seasoning required.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water to revive the emulsion.
Troubleshooting
Garlic tastes bitter or acrid
Cause: The garlic was cooked over too high heat or left too long before adding water
Fix: Cannot be fixed. The bitter flavor will ruin the dish, so it is best to discard the oil and garlic and start over.
Prevention: Always start the garlic in cold oil, use medium-low heat, and watch closely, adding water at the first sign of pale golden color.
Sauce is greasy and oil separates from the water
Cause: Not enough starch to bind the fat and water, or insufficient tossing agitation
Fix: Add another splash of hot pasta water and toss rapidly off the heat until the sauce comes together.
Prevention: Use less water when boiling pasta to maximize starch concentration, and toss vigorously in the pan.
Cheese clumps into melted strings instead of a smooth sauce
Cause: Cheese was added while the pan was too hot or over direct heat
Fix: Add a small splash of cool water and toss aggressively, though it may not fully recover.
Prevention: Remove pan from heat completely and let sit for 30 seconds before tossing in the finely grated cheese.
Cultural Context
Aglio e olio originates from Naples and is the quintessential example of Italian cucina povera, or peasant cooking. It relies entirely on pantry staples to create a dish far greater than the sum of its parts. While the traditional purist recipe strictly uses only garlic, oil, and chili, the addition of Pecorino Romano is a popular Roman variation that adds a deeply savory, umami richness to the final plate.
