Of all the pasta dishes one might make, spaghetti aglio e olio (spaghetti with garlic & oil) is, by far, the easiest to prepare. Ready in minutes, at its most basic, there are but 3 ingredients to this dish: pasta, garlic, and olive oil. That’s it. Now, understandably, there are many variations to the dish, the most common involve adding grated cheese (romano or parmesan) and/or chopped red pepperoncini or pepper flakes. I am firmly planted on the side of those who love their pasta aglio e olio served with a few red pepper flakes and a good dusting of grated cheese. Still, even after adding these 2 ingredients, you can see that this is a most uncomplicated dish.
As a young adult still living at the old two-flat, I’d come home after a night out with the boys and, while they were in a drive-thru waiting for their sack o’ sliders, I was already fixing myself a plate of aglio e olio. One of those nights, as I was eating, Zia’s husband, “Uncle,” came down the back stairs to see what I was cooking. After a brief chat, he went back upstairs. A week or two later, the same thing happened but, this time, he mentioned how quickly I had prepared the dish. Realizing the implication, I was ready for him the next time. A couple of weeks later, after a night spent carousing with friends, I set about to make my late night dinner, only this time I slowed things down a bit. Sure enough, Uncle appeared but this time I was just about to add the pasta to the boiling water (butta giù in our house’s parlance). I added enough spaghetti for two and within minutes we were enjoying a late night snack together. We “dined together” several times after that and I always knew that if he didn’t appear by the time I was ready to butta giù, I would be dining alone. To this day, I cannot have a dish of pasta aglio e olio without thinking of those late night dinners together.
Throughout the years, this simple dish has continued to serve me well. After a 10 hour day at the office, I would arrive home and prepare a plate of aglio e olio within minutes. On those days/nights that I tended bar, a dish of this pasta officially marked the end of my day. Even now, if I don’t feel like cooking, I can whip up a batch of spaghetti aglio e olio in a fraction of the time it would take to have a dinner delivered. And I still find it every bit as satisfying as I did those many years ago, although, admittedly, Max is hardly the conversationalist that Uncle was.
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Spaghetti Aglio e Olio Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti (cappellini, spaghettini, linguine, or trenette may be used)
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 – 6 cloves of garlic, diced
- 1/2 to 1 tsp red pepper flakes or 1 red peperoncino, diced (optional)
- 1/2 cup grated cheese, separated – romano or parmesan may be used (optional)
- reserved pasta water
- chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
- grated cheese for serving (optional)
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Directions
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to boil. Add the spaghetti and stir.
- Check the spaghetti package’s cooking instructions. About 3 minutes before the spaghetti is supposed to be cooked al dente, begin heating the oil in a deep frying pan. Add the pepper flakes (or peperoncino) & garlic and sauté until the edges of the garlic just begin to turn brown, no more than 2 minutes. Do not allow the garlic to brown completely or, worse yet, to burn. Your pasta should be ready about now.
- Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, strain the pasta, add it to the frying pan, and stir to combine and to coat the pasta.
- Add a few ounces of the reserved pasta water to the pan with the pasta, more as needed. Allow the pasta to finish cooking, to your liking.
- Before serving, take the pan off of the heat, add all but 2 tbsp of the cheese, and mix until well coated. Garnish with parsley & the remaining cheese. Serve immediately.
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Variations
Since the recipe just presented already modified the original dish to include grated cheese and red pepper flakes, why stop there? About a year ago, I realized that I hadn’t any cheese — Gasp! — after I had already added my pasta to the pot of boiling water. Remembering what I’d seen on a number of cooking shows, I quickly tossed some bread crumbs into a frying pan, added the parsley that was to have been a garnish, and toasted the combination. When my pasta was ready to be served, I topped it off with the toasted bread crumbs — and I’ve done it many times since, sometimes with cheese, sometimes without. As it turns out, using bread crumbs in place of cheese is a Sicilian custom, as Ambrosiana recently verified. (Speaking of Ambrosiana, be sure to check out her blog, Tales of Ambrosia. Not only will you find great recipes & dishes, beautifully photographed, but you’ll be treated to scenes of an Italy that the tour books have yet to discover.)
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John, I just love reading your stories. You are such a great writer! You should turn all of your stories and recipes into a cookbook. It would be one of those cookbooks that I would pick up just to read the stories and the recipes would be an added bonus because they would be all Italian and really can you ever go wrong with Italian?! Truly – your stories are so heartfelt and real. It makes me want to make a dish of this and sit down with someone I love for a one-on-one late night conversation.
Thank you so very much, Kristy. Uncle was a special guy and I cherish those memories. I doubt if Zia, his wife, knows anything about those late night pasta dinners. It will give us something to talk about when I visit her next week. I’ll be sure to show her your comment, too. She loves hearing that her recipes and our “history” is so well-received, and she agrees with you. She wants me to write a book, too. We’ll see … Thanks, again.
Finally making this tonight!
Can’t wait.
What Kristy said. A very dear story (I am beginning to feel that I’ve known your family for years) and a very darling dish — the ultimate comfort food. Other things we like to add as the mood strikes us: anchovies, black or green olives (not green if you have ‘chovies), or, occasionally, thinly sliced peppers sauteed with the garlic…well, now we’re getting away from the simplicity of the original recipe, but the beauty of pasta is its infinite possible combinations. In Venice this spring, we had this dish with caramelized onions. It was spectacular and just stinky enough to be glorious.
Thank you, Gail. My family would have loved you and Dave. You would have fit right in. As for this pasta dish, what I love about it is that it is so versatile. I’ve added whatever i have lying around, fresh or left-over veggies, sun-dried tomatoes, and all the ingredients you’ve already mentioned. It’s a great dinner to serve and a better way to clear out the fridge! Thanks for stopping by. XOX John
Thanks for letting us into your kitchen and ther meory of your Uncle. Wonderful post!
Thanks, Dave. You and Uncle would have gotten along just fine. He was quite a guy and there’ll be more “Uncle Stories” to come. Thanks for stopping by … John
Such beautiy in the simplicity of this dish. It has come to my rescue many times too. The ultimate “fast food” and way better than a burger! Love that you shared these quiet, special times with your uncle and I bet that he did too.
Thanks, Tanya. This pasta is the perfect example that Italian cooking need not be complicated to be good. And if I close my eyes, I can see Uncle at the kitchen door, asking me, “What’s for dinner?” with a twinkle in his eye.
What a lovely walk down memory lane with you, thank you for taking us with you and for sharing your lovely spaghetti aglio e olio too.
Mandy
Have a super day.
I enjoy sharing these memories, Mandy. It seems that for every one that I write, I recall 2 or 3 other long-forgotten memories. Writing this blog has been rewarding in ways i never considered a possibility. Thank you, Mandy, and I hope yours is a great day, too.
The most satisfying meals are often the most simple, made with the very best ingredients. this is one of those, every taste must shine. I loved the tale of your uncle drawn down by the smells of your late night munch.. and when you write those memories you get the chance to sit down again with him, thank you John. c
You nailed it, Cecilia, about both the simplicity of Italian cooking and a real benefit of retelling these memories. I’m glad that you enjoy reading them. By the way, it’s an Italian tradition that the first-born son bears the name of the paternal grandfather and the first-born daughter the name of the maternal grandmother. My brother’s name is that of Dad’s dad. My sister’s middle name is that of Mom’s Mom, Cecilia.
That is so cool. My fathers grandmother was cecilia.. and I was the firstborn daughter! wow, i wonder if dad realises he was got the tradition backwards! say hi to your sister for me! c
Spectacular, John, and again a testament to the simple ingredients. One of my favourite dishes when we traveled through Italy. Thanks for the memories. I am out on Friday night, on the town, and I know this will come back to haunt me at 2am!
Thanks, Eva. I think we can all agree that it’s not really a good idea to eat at 2:00 am. Still, if you’re going to do it — and I do — a serving of pasta aglio e olio is so much healthier than a sack o’ burgers and fries. Not only that but it tastes so much better, too!
John, this is such a touching memory. I miss my family soo much (finally getting up to Ohio to see them and FALL – it’s been 11 years!!) I remember this simple pasta dish as my favorite comfort dish. This was a pasta dish my dad would make for a quick lunch. I didn’t realize the bread crumb topping was more a Sicilian style, but that is how we did it, along with the cheese! You’ve got so many warm memories to recall and that is so very special.
Oh, Linda! 11 years!?!? Of course you miss your family very much. i can’t imagine but I’m so glad for you that you’ll be visiting them this Fall. That will be a very special homecoming, to be sure. It’s a funny thing how so many of my memories are associated with food, in one way or another. And I’m very thankful there are people like you who appreciate my efforts.
What a nice story. I love that you eschewed bad fast food, for good fast food too.
Thanks, Greg. I think you’re giving me too much credit. The truth is that I love pasta and would eat it every day if I could. Even on those nights when I joined my pals at some diner, I kept asking myself why was I eating this whatever when I could be home with a dish of pasta. The fact that it was a better, healthier alternative was just pure luck.
I fell in love with this dish when I visited Italy and have made it a few times since. So simple and soooo good! Your story was wonderful, too. It really shows the love you put into your food
Thanks, Stefanie and yes, these few ingredients sure do pack a wallop of flavor! That’s what I love abut italian cooking. You don’t need a laundry list of spices and a half-dozen different techniques. Less is definitely more.
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Thanks for such a nice story and recipe. That’s the way I cook spaghetti at home for the kids, they love it and is so easy to do…
Thank you. Mom made this for us, too. A quick lunch or as a side dish rather than potatoes, this pasta made an appearance at least once a week on our dinner table.
That is such a sweet story, John. That man was persistent…looks like it paid off! He got some great food out of the deal. My friends and I are always craving food after a night of drinking (naturally) and they always want pizza, street dogs, etc., but I’m sure they would LOVE if I cooked for them.
My uncle was a great guy and I cherish those memories of him, Caroline. Your friends, on the other hand, would think you a wizard if you served them this after a night out.. This dish can be ready in under 20 minutes — the longest part is waiting for the water to boil — and the dish is incredibly good. In fact, it is so good that they may expect you to cook for them whenever you guys go out.
Ha! You’re completely right. They would think of me as some sort of God in their drunken state. Ah, yes, waiting for the water is always the worst part. The pasta really does look fantastic though. Good thing it’s almost dinner time.
Now THAT’s Italian! No more cans of Chef Boyardee for me. Say, while I’m thinking about it, anything interesting coming up for the holidays? My taste buds are salivating with anticipation (pardon the pun).
Yes, Chris, it is a great dish and ridiculously easy to make. I’ve not started planning the holidays, as yet. I hear that Zia may be coming into town and I need to know what’s being planned before I make plans. I’ll know in the next couple weeks. Thanks for dropping by.
Another great story and background for one tasty dish. I’m going to have to speak to my wife Liz, who is almost 1/2 Italian, as to why she never made this for me.
Cheers!
Thanks, Jed. This is such an easy dish that virtually anyone can make it. It was the first pasta dish I learned to cook for myself and I’ve never tired of it. Why not surprise her and cook some for her?
That is a good point…perhaps I shall.
Wow! That really is easy……must try it one day.
It is ridiculously easy and so very tasty. Try it. You won’t be disappointed. Guaranteed!
Food and Family; simple stories and simple recipes. Thanks for the glimpse of both…
You’re welcome. Sharing these stories helps to reminds me of just how special my upbringing was.
It is funny when you wrote about your night out and eating pasta upon arriving home. We would call this “ritual” a Spaghettata!! very typical during summer, when we go out ’till late and gather with friends for a quick pasta!!! Great post!!!
Spaghettata? What a great name and I can’t wait to tell Zia about this when I visit her next week. All I’ve known is that a dish of aglio e olio is a great way to end a night out. Now, thanks to you, I have a name for my late night dinner. Mille grazie.
Forgot to thank you for the mention!!! I am honored!!!
You are very welcome! I enjoy your blog very much and want to share it with others. I’m sure they will find it every bit as enjoyable as I have.
I’ve shared this dish so many times with so many great memories…many a time with Venetian friends having been celebrating lunch together…continuing on into the late afternoon with bottles of red, and making an afternoon snack of aglio,oil and pepperoncino…with all its simplicity…the aroma and taste are magical.Mi piace! x
Me anche! I find it unbelievable that so few ingredients can combine to make so great a dish. And it is perfect for an impromptu dinner/snack for the situation you described with your Venetian friends. Quick, simple, and delicious. What’s not to love?
I always love simple and fast meals….especially during the busy work week! This pasta dish looks great!
This dish is great when you’re in a time crunch or after a long day & you’re just too tired to spend even a half hour cooking dinner. For me, a pasta fanatic, it’s the best!
Thanks for such a lovely but simple recipe – I love simple! And the story about your uncle is charming! What a special memory it makes!
Thank you so much. Yes, Uncle was a special guy and I’m lucky to have a number of great memories of him and times we spent together.
I am not Italian, but Irish descent. However, this dish was one I fell in love with when I was just a little girl… although I didn’t know what it was called back then:) I really enjoyed reading through your website and the recipes look delicious!
This is one dish that really does have universal appeal. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment. Glad that you liked what you saw. Don’t be a stranger!
Just popping in to say hi and that this pasta dish is now officially on my Make Often list! as it was loved by all! I made it just the way you taught us to make it! c
That’s great! I’m so glad you liked it. I’m leaving tomorrow to visit Zia. She’d no idea that Uncle & I were having late night pasta dinners together. This will give us something to talk about, to be sure.
I love this tasty and easy-to-prepare pasta dish, and have made variations of it many times for my family (and sometimes just for me!). Fast food can happen right at home! Love how your honour your family in your blog. I started mine to share my love of cooking with my children, and to create a collection of family recipes and food memories for them. Mar
So many pasta dishes are based on this one dish and I love ‘em all! And what a gift you’re giving your children! They’ll appreciate it more and more with each passing year, to be sure. Thank you for you kind words about my efforts here. Aside from documenting the family’s recipes, I wanted the younger set, and those to come, to know something about the people they’re going to one day see in the photo albums. Seeing Great-Grandma as a little girl can give one an entirely different perspective. Thank you for dropping by and taking time to comment.
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