Aglio e Olio Pasta, also known as Garlic and Olive Oil, is a traditional pasta dish made with simple and fresh flavors. It truly is more than the sum of its parts.
Simplicity at Its Finest
This olive oil and garlic pasta dish is all about the simplicity of the ingredients. It is also ready in only 15 minutes. That’s better than take-out, plus this is homemade so it’s better in every sense of the word.
Olive oil and garlic really are the start of many wonderful sauces, but in this pasta dish, they actually get a chance to shine. It’s a very popular dish in Italy! Just think of all the amazing food they have to pick from, and this is one dish that truly stands out. You have to try it!
What Is Aglio E Olio?
Aglio e Olio literally means olive oil and garlic in Italian. It is a traditional pasta recipe from Naples. This dish is made by sautéing sliced garlic in olive oil, sometimes with the addition of red pepper flakes, or anchovies. Add pasta such as spaghetti, linguini, or fettuccine in and toss it well.
Although I served it with Parmesan cheese, many Italians would argue that the cheese isn’t necessary. In fact, it isn’t even a welcome addition. However, I love my Parmesan cheese so I grated some on mine. It’s your plate at the end of the day! Whatever puts a smile on your face is all that matters.
Ingredients
Keep scrolling down to the recipe card for full ingredient amounts and instructions, or click the Jump To Recipe button at the top.
- Pasta – I used linguini. I think this recipe works best with long shapes such as spaghetti or fettuccini, but you can use small shapes such as penne if that’s what you prefer.
- Olive oil – Make sure to use regular olive oil for cooking this rather than extra virgin olive oil. EVOO has a very low smoke point, and can burn easily to give off a bitter flavor.
- Garlic – The more the merrier in this recipe! Make sure to get fresh garlic so you can slice it.
- Red pepper flakes – Use as much or as little as you like.
- Salt and pepper – Season to taste.
- Parsley – This time the parsley isn’t just a garnish! We are using lots of it today to add a beautiful fresh flavor to this pasta.
- Optional: Parmesan and lemon juice – A squeeze of fresh lemon is pretty typical to cut through the oil and balance out this dish. Parmesan isn’t usually served with aglio e olio, but it always has a place on my plate! Others also love to add some anchovies to this dish, so if you like anchovies it might be worth a try.
How to Make Aglio E Olio
- Prep the pasta and sauce: Cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a lardge, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic slices and red pepper to the oil. Stir well until the garlic turns golden, then season with salt and pepper.
- Finish the aglio e olio: Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the pasta, drained, and the parsley. Toss everything well. If you’d like, reserve some pasta water. You can add 1/4-1/2 cup to toss the pasta with the olive oil sauce. This will help emulsify the sauce and give it more opportunity to stick to the pasta. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the pasta and top with parmesan cheese.
How to Serve
With a handful of ingredients, the main sauce ingredients being olive oil and garlic, you’ll end up with one of the most delicious pastas you’ll ever try. I love to serve this with a side of Kale and Quinoa Salad, and a slice of Cheesy Garlic Bread.
You can also top your pasta with baked chicken breast, sliced, to add protein and create a full meal. Looking for more ideas? Give these sides a try:
- No Knead Bread
- Garlic Parmesan Skillet Rolls
- Soft Buttermilk Dinner Rolls
- No Knead Skillet Bread
- The Ultimate Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
- Skillet Green Beans
- Italian Roasted Mushrooms and Veggies
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
How to Store Leftovers
This dish is best served fresh, as the oil tends to separate from the pasta after being refrigerated. It’s still just as delicious, however you may need to take an extra step in re-heating if the oil bothers you.
Your leftovers will last 3-5 days in the fridge. To reheat, you can simply microwave it. To reduce the amount of separated oil in your bowl, reheat your leftovers in a skillet over medium-heat with a splash of water. Continually toss the pasta well as it heats up to re-create the sauce.
Craving More Pasta? Try These!
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Pasta Alla Vodka
- Arugula and Walnut Pesto Pasta
- Instant Pot Baked Ziti
- Pesto Shrimp Asparagus Pasta
- Creamy Parmesan Orzo with Chicken and Asparagus
- Italian Shrimp Bake with Pasta
- Easy Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake
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Aglio e Olio
Ingredients
- 1 lb linguini uncooked, or any pasta
- ¾ cup olive oil
- 1 head garlic peeled and sliced
- 2 tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp salt or to taste
- ½ tsp pepper or to taste
- ½ cup parsley fresh, chopped
Optional toppings
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- lemon juice freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and heavily salt it. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, or slightly underdone.
- While pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet or saute pan over medium heat.
- Once the oil is simmering add the garlic slices and the red pepper flakes and stir. Cook until the garlic turns slightly golden brown. Season with salt and pepper.
- Lower the heat to a medium-low and add the cooked pasta, drained and the parsley and toss. If the pasta is too dry add some of the pasta water, about half a cup.
- Garnish with lemon juice and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Any pasta such as spaghetti, linguini or fettuccine can be used in this dish.
- Make sure the reserve about a cup of the pasta water to add to the pasta sauce as needed if the pasta is too dry. If the pasta is too saucy continue cooking for another minute or so until the pasta absorbs some of the sauce.
- Nutrition: Nutritional information includes Parmesan cheese. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
I just made this tonight and it was a HUGE hit!! I doubled the fresh parsley (as I grow my own)…..used the hot pepper flakes.and reserved pasta water….garnished it with fresh grated parmesan….oh….also I used nearly all of the juice from one lemon….I served it with steamed asparagus and steamed spinach….ohhhh…..wow!!! Thank you!! ❣️❤️😍
This is a keeper. Have made it about a dozen times. I add sun dried tomatoes chopped onions & spinach. Yummy. Thanks for sharing this easy recipe Jo!!
Definitely looks tasty!
Delicious!!!!!!!!!!! I added more garlic and mixed the parmesan cheese into the pasta. Yum!!!!
This is a great simple recipe and so very easy to prepare. I disagree with one thing though, this is where you should use a high quality EVOO. When a dish basically has only two ingredients, don’t scrimp on either. Be careful not to overheat the oil and destroy it’s awesome flavor.
Our two boys (14 and 10) made this for our Valentine’s Day dinner! They added pancetta! Excellent meal!
This recipe was a little too spicy for us but otherwise delicious! Also I did add some lemon pepper as I was serving it with Lemon Chicken. Next time I will not add the red pepper flakes and will let people add them if they want them!
Hello! Can you use minced garlic instead of garlic slices?
Sure, I’d still go with fresh garlic though.
Love this recipe! Simple and delicious. Tempted to add shrimp…. if I use raw shrimp how/when should I add it in? Thanks!
I would add the shrimp right before the garlic! It’ll only need about 1 minute per side.
I had it with spinach really good
what kind of parsley curly or italian flat leaf, recipes always say parsley but never which kind, in cases like that which one should I use. please reply to my email I am a senior and not to bright with computers, we eat tons of garlic so I know I will love this, thank you.
We don’t specify the type of parsley because it won’t make a difference in how your recipe turns out! We go back and forth between the two varieties depending on what the grocery store has for us. This looks to me like flat-leaf. Enjoy, you’ll love this recipe!
Hi there Jo,
So enjoy getting and trying new recipes…I am so excited to sign up to receive many of your other simple to make recipes from the comfort of my own home and using I gredie Rd that are most likely in the pantry every day 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing…God Bless you!
This has become one of my personal favourites. My hubby only eats spicy meat sauce, so this simple, yet delicious, recipe is my go-to-dinner when he has a dinner meeting. I have pared it down to a single serving and always use the Parmesan and extra lemon juice.
The lemon juice really is the secret ingredient! We’re so happy you love this recipe 🙂
Love this one Jo. It’s amazing on its own or as a side dish. Wanted to ask your thoughts on using the pre shredded parm vs fresh. I do use fresh but am tempted & lazy to try the other stuff. Do you think it messes with the results?
We use both pre-shredded parm and fresh parm depending on the day!
Simple with lots of flavor! Will be a favorite in our home