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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.
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 – 1/3 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 few other super simple, mouthwatering Italian pastas, try my Bucatini Cacio e Pepe or Bucatini Carbonara (no-fail methods!), Gemelli Pasta with Lemon and Garlic or 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.
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.
Step 3: Add fresh parsley and lemon juice and toss again. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve!
Pasta Aglio e Olio {Pasta with Garlic and Oil}
Video
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti or linguine
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more! how hot do you like it?)
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Sometimes the simple dishes are the best. Most of the time, actually. Pinned 🙂
I love this classic pasta dash, and the addition of lemon was a great idea!
Marissa…Love this post!!! And I have NOT yet seen the movie..I know I know…I HAVE TO…Did you see there is a new chef movie with Bradley Cooper coming out? I’ll take anything he is serving 🙂
But this pasta….it looks JUST HEAVENLY!!! Another Marissa classic!!!!
Awww, thank you so much, Mila! And yes, you must watch it. You’ll love it, I promise! xo
What a fun movie indeed! Nothing better than a dish with a few quality ingredients that all get to sing. Beautiful! Safe and happy travels in Paris.
Well said, Kevin! And thank you!!
I loved that movie! I actually watched it on the plane ride back from my last trip to Paris and I found myself so incredibly hungry on the plane. I was just grateful I was heading back to Southern California because I knew I’d be able to get my hands on some Latin flavors. :p This pasta though looks so incredible! I’ve always wanted to make a fantastic pasta with garlic and oil, and now that you’ve shared this recipe, I will definitely be making it! If it’s even 1/4 as good as your puttanesca, then I know I’ll be in heaven! <3 <3
I’d love it if they’d play it on the plane today! 🙂 Thanks so much, Beeta. Promise me that you’ll try this – I know you’ll love it. xo
Just looked up what a carving fork and it looks so awesome!
🙂 Very handy…
I need to see this movie! This pasta dish looks so simple and delicious! Pinned!
You’ll love the movie, Mira – it’s so much fun. And thank you!!
Sometimes the simplest dishes are the best ones! I bet the flavors here play off each other perfectly.
Well said, sweet friend. xo
Hehe that’s why I bought a carving fork too! And that’s what it is mostly used for (although I do use it for carving meat too) 🙂
I love it! Lorraine, we’re simpatico! 🙂
I loved the movie, including the predictability of the story line. Sometimes it’s wonderful to spend an hour and a half feeling good. It’s funny, Studio Canal paid me a LOT of money to review that movie but I can’t view that clip because I’m in the wrong country. 🙂
That dish is SO pretty and now I want it AND the knife.
Thank you so much, Maureen. Glad you were paid a handsome sum for your review, but I had no idea that there were geographic boundaries on YouTube videos – bummer.
Love the dish and love the movie clip accompanying your article.
Thanks, Kimberly! xo
This dish looks and sounds beyond delicious, Marissa! So simple but such intense flavors! I did enjoy Chef very much even though I thought the storyline was a little linear. The food (and also the music) were spectacular! 🙂
Agreed! Thank you, Nicole.
I just loved Chef, Marissa, which I was really pleased about because reviews seemed to be mixed. I absolutely love simple pastas like this (just need to convince the hubs, though!) Your photos are stunning, too!
Awww, thank you Helen. xo
Hi Marissa! Sometimes the simple things in life are the best and I think this is one of them! The ingredients are all pantry staples and all I might add is a simple salad on the side!
Exactly – just a simple salad and dinner is served. 🙂 Thank you, Dorothy!
So simple, but so delicious! Love this pasta dish 🙂 Pinning!
Thank you, Medha!