SEATTLE — Aglio e olio just means “garlic and oil” in Italian. Often, the name incudes one more ingredient, peperoncino. This dish comes from Naples and is something people often eat after getting home from partying, because it’s so quick to make. The entire “sauce,” which is mostly infused olive oil, comes together in the time it takes to cook the pasta. Italian chefs tend to be purists about this dish, which means no lemon and no cheese on top. I find if you balance all the ingredients right, it really doesn’t need lemon or cheese, but you’re also the boss of your own kitchen (so I won’t tell).
Aglio e Olio
Ingredients:
- Makes 2 to 3 servings
- Kosher salt, for the pasta water
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 1⁄3 cup good extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 to 5 garlic cloves (to taste), sliced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or 1 fresh bird’s eye (Thai) chili (or less to taste)
- 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley, plus about 1 cup leaves (not chopped)
Smarter Tips
1 Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a very generous amount of kosher salt, at least 3 tablespoons. Drop in the pasta and set a timer for 5 minutes.
2 Add half the olive oil to a large cold pan with the garlic and red pepper flakes. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, while the pasta boils. You want the garlic to get a light golden-brown color and the oil to bubble gently, but not too much.
3 When the 5 minutes are up, add the rest of the oil to the pan. Either use tongs to transfer the pasta directly to the pan with the garlic and oil, or use a mug to scoop out at least 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and transfer it to the pan with the garlic oil.
4 Add 1/4 to 1⁄3 cup of pasta water (eyeball it) to the pasta, and mix the spaghetti in the garlic mixture energetically. Keep cooking the pasta in the pan until it is al dente, 4 to 5 more minutes, adding a few more splashes of pasta water if the pan looks dry.
5. add the parsley, mix, and serve.
Deeper Dive
While it isn’t traditional, many fancier Italian chefs use a blender to make a stronger emulsion for this sauce (see page 42 for more on emulsions). When you follow the standard instructions, it is possible to emulsify the oil and water with the starch from the pasta with lots of agitation; however, if you want to get a really stable emulsion that won’t feel greasy at all, mixing the garlic oil and pasta water in the blender (or with an immersion blender) is the way to go! Just be very careful since it’ll be hot; avoid using a blender with a glass jar—it could crack.
From SCHECKEATS – COOKING SMARTER by Jeremy Scheck.
Scheck is having an author event on November 13 starting at 6 p.m. at Book Larder, 4252 Fremont Ave N, Seattle WA, 98125
Segment Producer Suzie Wiley. Watch New Day Northwest at 11 a.m. weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.