Spaghetti with Olive Oil and Garlic (Aglio e Olio) (2024)

FAQs

Can I use pure olive oil for aglio olio? ›

Use a High Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The fat will act as the vehicle in which the flavors of garlic, anchovies, and spicy pepper are delivered. Using a high quality extra virgin olive oil will add depth, layers, and richness to this dish that cannot be replicated by other cooking fats.

In fact, aglio e olio gets its name from its short ingredient list, “aglio” meaning garlic and “olio” meaning oil. In its most traditional form, it's just cooked pasta tossed in garlic, olive oil, and pasta water.

The key is slowly toasting the garlic slices to a perfect golden brown in the olive oil. If it's too light, you don't get the full flavor and if it's too dark it gets bitter. My advice? Do it perfectly.

Spaghetti aglio e olio translates to “spaghetti with garlic and oil.” The traditional dish contains little more than these ingredients. It might be finished with a sprinkle of parsley or a pinch of red pepper flakes, but even these are optional.

Spaghetti aglio e olio (Italian: [spaˈɡetti ˈaʎʎo e ˈɔːljo]; lit. 'spaghetti [with] garlic and oil') is a pasta dish typical of the city of Naples, in the Campania region of Italy. It is a typical dish of Neapolitan cuisine and is widely popular.

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio is a little spicy, it's herbaceous thanks to the parsley. The garlic flavor is there. The pasta is coated with the emulsified sauce, not oily at all. Once you start cooking, this is not something you can walk away from.

Pasta Water: The pasta water helps to coat the pasta in the olive oil, ensuring that each bite has that delicious garlicky flavor! Parmigiano Reggiano: Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano truly adds the most delicious flavor to this spaghetti, WAY better than your pre-shredded parmesan cheese.

Yes, the aglio olio is made with wholegrain pasta, while the carbonara contains regular pasta made from refined grains. Wholegrain contains more fibre and nutrients than refined grains, which loses a large part of its nutritional value in the refining process.

Fresh herb salad on the side

To balance the richness of spaghetti aglio e olio, consider serving a fresh herb salad alongside the pasta. A vibrant mix of peppery arugula, fresh basil and tangy cherry tomatoes dressed in a light vinaigrette adds a refreshing and palate-cleansing element to the meal.

Aglio olio is generally dry because the pasta has been over cooked, and not enough oil has been added. You can fix this problem but saving half the olive oil to drizzle on right at the end of cooking, or add a splash of pasta cooking water as you're cooking your garlic.

How can I make my spaghetti more flavorful? ›

Aglio e olio is spicy, but not unbearably so. You can use red hot chili peppers, fresh or dried, or you can add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.

Fun fact: Aglio e Olio means garlic and oil in Italian, so if you add pepper it becomes Aglio Olio e Peperoncino!

The simple answer is yes. If a recipe calls for olive oil, as many do, you can use extra-virgin or regular olive oil. It's up to you, and largely based on personal preference. Both extra-virgin and regular olive oil can be used in baking and cooking, but do keep in mind their differing smoke points.

You may have heard the myth that one should not cook with olive oil. The Culinary Institute of America busts this myth and confirms that you can, and should, cook with olive oil even under high heat.

The new guidelines include olive oil on the list of preferred cooking oils and reflect the latest research on the health benefits of cooking with olive oil at higher temperatures. The USDA website's guide to "Deep Fat Frying and Food Safety" lists olive oil as a recommended oil for deep frying.

Since most stovetop cooking (and even frying) occurs around 350°F, you can absolutely use olive oil for sautéing and stir-frying. The thing to keep in mind is that olive oil is flavorful, so do you want to add that flavor to the dish you're cooking? If the answer is yes, go ahead.