• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Pinch and Swirl
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Collections
  • About
  • Free Recipe EBook
  • My Saved Recipes
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Collections
  • About
  • Free Recipe EBook
  • My Saved Recipes
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Recipes » Main Course Recipes » Pasta

    Pasta Aglio e Olio {Pasta with Garlic and Oil}

    Published: Jun 19, 2018 · Modified: Aug 11, 2020 by Marissa Stevens · 77 Comments

    VegetarianQuick Meals

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
    pasta aglio e olio served on a white plate

    Pasta Aglio e Olio is easy to make, delicious to eat and the sexiest pasta recipe I know. In about 20 minutes you'll be serving glistening pasta loaded with olive oil, toasty garlic, fresh parsley, zesty lemon juice and a kick of crushed red pepper.

    Pasta Aglio e Olio served on white plates with linen napkins

    Has a movie ever inspired you to buy a cooking utensil? The movie Chef made me buy a carving fork, but not for the traditional use. I watched Jon Favreau use one to twist Pasta Aglio e Olio into a gorgeous spiral, and I had to have it.

    You've seen the movie, right? Granted, the language is a little rough. But the food! To say that this movie is seductive doesn't really cover it. Really, how do you make a grilled cheese looks that sexy. And the Cubano, oh, the Cubano - that my friend, Nagi did a lovely job of recreating.

    The first time I made Pasta Aglio e Olio, this may sound like sacrilege but, I thought: 'This is better than mac and cheese!' I was tempted to decrease the amount of olive oil - ⅓ cup for two people borders on obscene, doesn't it? But it's the perfect amount for this pasta dish. The pasta is silky, not greasy. And the play of fresh parsley and lemon zing, with the subtle heat of crushed red pepper and copious amounts of garlic and olive oil, well...you're just going to have to try it.

    Serve With

    Serve this with a simple vegetable like Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower or Zucchini Salad. And for a lighter riff on this dish, try Lemon Garlic Pasta. And Chocolate Panna Cotta or Affogato for dessert.

    And for a couple of other super simple, mouthwatering Italian pastas, try my Bucatini Cacio e Pepe or Bucatini Carbonara (no-fail methods!) and Tuna Pasta (with a no-cook sauce)!

    How to Make Pasta Aglio e Olio

    Step 1: Cook pasta according to package ingredients until al dente. Drain, reserving a cup or more of the cooking water.

    Putting Pasta on to Boil

    Step 2: Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. When hot, add sliced garlic cloves and stir just until toasted. Add crushed red pepper flakes and pasta; remove from heat and toss to coat.

    Adding Crushed Red Pepper to oil and garlic
    Adding Pasta to olive oil garlic and crushed red pepper

    Step 3: Add fresh parsley and lemon juice and toss again. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve!

    Adding Parsley
    Tossing Pasta to Coat
    Plating Pasta

    Pasta Aglio e Olio Recipe Video

    SUBSCRIBE TO VIDEOS

    Pasta Aglio e Olio served on white plates with linen napkins

    Pasta Aglio e Olio {Pasta with Garlic and Oil}

    Marissa Stevens
    Inspired by the movie Chef, this is truly one of my new comfort foods!
    4.91 from 11 votes
    Save Recipe Saved! Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 20 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 2 people
    Calories 866 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 8 ounces spaghetti or linguine
    • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • 5 cloves garlic thinly sliced
    • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more! how hot do you like it?)
    • ½ cup chopped parsley
    • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
    • salt and freshly ground black pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions, until al dente. (see recipe note) Drain, reserving 1 or more cups of the cooking liquid. 
    • Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook and stir until garlic is tender and very lightly brown (take care not to burn it!). Stir in crushed red pepper. Add pasta and remove from heat; gently toss to coat, adding pasta water if you like to reach your desired consistency.
    • Add parsley and lemon juice and toss again. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
    • Serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese.

    Notes

    If possible, time the cooking of your pasta to coincide with the sauce so you can use a pasta spoon to scoop it directly into the pan, bringing with it some of the cooking liquid.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 866kcalCarbohydrates: 90gProtein: 25gFat: 45gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 29gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 408mgPotassium: 415mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1629IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 338mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword comfort food, date night, easy, quick, vegetarian
    Tried this recipe?I'd love to see it! Tag me on Instagram at @pinchandswirl or leave me a comment and rating below.

    More Pasta

    • Garlic Butter Noodles
    • Shrimp Fra Diavolo
    • Tuna Pasta
    • Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Comment Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Alyssa says

      December 20, 2021 at 5:32 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing ! My new fav pasta dish. Followed it to the T and it was perfectooooo !I added thin breaded chicken cutlets to pair with and it was delishhh

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        December 21, 2021 at 8:29 am

        So glad you enjoyed this, Alyssa! Thank you for coming back to let me know.

        Reply
    2. Deborah says

      July 08, 2021 at 9:55 am

      I’m in the process of making this but making for 8 and it increases all the ingredients except for the lemon….still says juice of 1 lemon what do you suggest…if I do 8 should be juice of 4 lemons?!? also 2 cups of chopped parsley seems like a lot….should I do the 2 cups of chopped parsley?

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        July 08, 2021 at 12:55 pm

        Hi Deborah! I'd do a 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice (I've updated the recipe to make this more clear for others in the future). For parsley, I'd go with 1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped and add more if it looks sparse. I hope that helps!

        Reply
    3. Terry says

      July 02, 2021 at 3:12 pm

      5 stars
      So delicious and easy!! My husband loved it too. We will make this again for sure

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        July 02, 2021 at 3:48 pm

        I'm so glad it was a hit, Terry!

        Reply
    4. Carlos says

      April 28, 2021 at 5:54 pm

      I prepared this tonight and it came out delicious, tasty, silky pasta. I doubled the lemon because I had plenty. I did not have any Italian cheese do I had to use feta, which paired really well with the lemon and garlic. I will make it again with the Parmesan.

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        April 28, 2021 at 8:34 pm

        I'm so happy to hear this was a hit for you, Carlos! Thank you for coming back to let me know.

        Reply
    5. Sam says

      February 10, 2021 at 8:22 pm

      I’ve made this twice now and it’s pretty fool proof. Both times I have screwed something up(burning the garlic, unevenly cooked linguine, etc.) and it comes out damn good either way. I mean it’s oil, noodles, garlic, and Parmesan. What’s not to like!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        February 12, 2021 at 2:46 pm

        lol! I'm so glad you're enjoying the recipe, Sam.

        Reply
    6. Lindsey says

      December 08, 2020 at 4:45 pm

      5 stars
      The flavor is amazing, but I used angel hair and it didn't come out very well. It was too mushy! Thats my fault for not using spaghetti!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        December 08, 2020 at 5:00 pm

        Next time, right? So glad you enjoyed the flavor and thank you for coming back to let me know!

        Reply
    7. Elizabeth says

      August 27, 2020 at 9:46 am

      5 stars
      I made it over the weekend and the flavor is simply amazing. Thank you for this great recipe!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        August 31, 2020 at 12:42 pm

        So glad you enjoyed this, Elizabeth!

        Reply
    8. Melissa says

      August 27, 2020 at 9:40 am

      5 stars
      This was excellent! I have made it a few times, and I cook it a little differently each time. So delicious. Thank you for your blog!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        August 31, 2020 at 12:43 pm

        So glad you're enjoying the recipe, Melissa!

        Reply
    9. Gabriel says

      July 09, 2020 at 7:22 pm

      5 stars
      That's so delicious. It's made me starving. I have to try it tonight for my family. Thanks for sharing

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        July 10, 2020 at 3:10 pm

        Thanks, Gabriel! Hope you and you family love it. 🙂

        Reply
    10. Jason says

      May 04, 2020 at 12:36 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely nailed it!

      I saw this in Chef and it looked so good, and your recipe was everything I hoped it would be!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        May 04, 2020 at 12:46 pm

        That's wonderful to hear, Jason. Thank you!

        Reply
    11. Dianne says

      April 22, 2020 at 1:03 am

      5 stars
      This recipe is really quick and easy and great for a weekday meal. I only had shell pasta on hand, but I otherwise made as directed.

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        April 22, 2020 at 1:13 pm

        Fantastic! Love that you stuck with what you had on hand and that it still turned out great. 🙂

        Reply
    12. Sarah j says

      April 13, 2020 at 5:38 pm

      Was foraging thru my pantry during the C-19 stay at home mandate and decided to make this. It had been a while, but it turned out perfect! Used angel hair pasta, skipped the parsley, but was close on everything else, just minor adjustments for taste. Ended up eating both helpings & I never finish my pasta! God it was good!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        April 14, 2020 at 8:16 am

        haha...love this, Sarah! 🙂

        Reply
    13. Rimmy says

      February 26, 2020 at 7:11 pm

      Finished the whole thing!!! So good! Doubled the red pepper. Forgot the parsley, but it was still great. Too much olive oil, will cut in half next time.

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        February 28, 2020 at 3:01 pm

        So glad you enjoyed this, Rimmy! And that you're adjusting it to suit your taste!

        Reply
    14. Raul says

      January 12, 2020 at 11:58 am

      5 stars
      Great recipe. Simplicity is the epitome of perfection.

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        January 13, 2020 at 11:01 am

        Thanks so much, Raul!

        Reply
    15. Kate says

      January 07, 2020 at 1:28 pm

      Thank you so much for this recipe , I followed it down to the last ingredient. My family loves lemon, nice touch. Not a morsel left!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        January 07, 2020 at 3:23 pm

        That's fantastic, Kate! I'm so glad that you and your family enjoyed it!

        Reply
    16. jean says

      October 30, 2019 at 11:09 am

      absolutely love this easy pasta dinner. at least everyone smells the same after enjoying this great dinner making some tonight

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        October 30, 2019 at 2:16 pm

        I'm so glad you're enjoying this recipe, Jean! And it's so true, when there's a lot of garlic involved a dish, it's best if everyone eats it. 😉

        Reply
    17. Matt says

      July 20, 2019 at 9:58 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve been making this recipe for years, and it’s my youngest daughter’s favorite meal of all time. She likes when I sauté peppers in a separate pan, and then mix them with the pasta and the sauce. The sweetness from the peppers goes good with the heat from the crushed red pepper. Dynamite dish!

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        July 23, 2019 at 8:30 am

        I love to hear that, Matt! Thank you! (I'll have to try it with peppers next time! 🙂 )

        Reply
    18. Stephen Young says

      March 08, 2019 at 4:43 pm

      Hi Marissa, the only thing I see missing is to add olive oil to the water, and then save a cup of the pasta water, add back to the sauce pan reducing till gone. This is truly authentic Italian Traditional fFriday night dinner.
      Blessings,
      Stephen

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        March 08, 2019 at 9:44 pm

        Hi, Stephen! Pasta water is magic for extending sauce, I've added a note about it to the recipe. When I make this dish I try to time it so that I can scoop the al dente pasta out of the boiling water and add it directly to the sauce, so it brings a fair amount of liquid with it. I'll add this to the recipe notes too. Thank you for your comment!

        Reply
      • Forest Ari says

        December 01, 2021 at 12:22 am

        Actually adding olive oil, or any oil to the pasta water is not a good way, because the oil coats the pasta in the pot, which renders pasta less able to absorb the flavors of the sauce with the red pepper, lemons and parsley.
        One must keep watch over the pasta and keep it boiling with occasional stirs.

        Reply
        • Marissa Stevens says

          December 01, 2021 at 8:38 am

          Hi, Forest. Yes, I agree. In this recipe, no oil is added to the pasta water - the pasta, along with any water that's clinging to it, is added to the hot oil and garlic mixture in the pan.

          Reply
    19. Alana says

      February 17, 2019 at 9:51 am

      4 stars
      Thanks for the recipe - I'd not tried Pasta Aglio e Olio with lemon in before so it was an interest new take. I'm divided whether I prefer with or without the lemon - it's almost like having two different dishes to choose from!

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        February 18, 2019 at 10:47 am

        Thanks, Alana.

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Primary Sidebar

    The best food happens at home. I love delicious food prepared simply with fresh ingredients and that’s just what you’ll find here! You can count on me for well tested, mouthwatering recipes designed for home cooks. Learn more →

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
    • Facebook
    12 Recipes to Know by Heart Book Cover
    Subscribe for Free E-Cookbook

    Reader Favorites

    • Oven Roasted Crispy Pork Belly
    • Lemon Garlic Pasta
    • Bacon Wrapped Scallops
    • Homemade Ramen Noodles
    • Homemade Tonic Water
    • Shrimp Tacos
    • Mashed Red Potatoes
    • Gyro Meat Recipe
    • Pork Belly Ramen
    • Grilled Lamb Chops

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up!

    Contact

    • Meet Marissa
    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 PinchandSwirl

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Email