Spaghetti aglio e olio with chilli and parsley

“Spaghetti aglio e olio (La Mirada Restaurant Richardstraße Berlin)” by IgorCalzone1, CC BY-SA 4.0, Source – cropped and recompressed

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

with chilli and parsley

20 min (15 min active) · Easy

You'll need: Stovetop · Frying Pan

Text written with AI assistance and reviewed by our editors

Five ingredients, one pan, 20 minutes – the dish Italians cook at two in the morning. The whole trick is patient garlic: golden, never brown.

Ingredients for 2 servings

2 servings

Hide conversionAmounts also in grams, ounces and cups; the steps show oven temperatures for fan, conventional and gas too.

  • 250 gSpaghetti (≈ 9 oz)
  • 4 clovesGarlic (≈ 16 g · ≈ ½ oz)
  • 1Chilli pepper, red (≈ 5 g · ≈ ¼ oz)
  • 6 tbspOlive oil, good quality (≈ 60 g · ≈ 2 oz)
  • ½ bunchParsley, flat-leaf (≈ 15 g · ≈ ½ oz)
  • Salt, for the pasta water

Contains: Gluten

Method

  1. Step 1: Bring plenty of water to the boil and salt it generously. Cook the spaghetti until al dente according to the packet instructions, usually 8–9 minutes.

    Timer: 8 min

  2. Step 2: Meanwhile, thinly slice the garlic. Halve the chilli lengthways, deseed and finely chop it. Chop the parsley.

  3. Step 3: Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan over low to medium heat. Let the garlic and chilli infuse gently for 3 minutes until the garlic is pale golden.

    Timer: 3 min

  4. Step 4: Scoop out a cup of pasta water. Drain the spaghetti and add it to the pan still dripping wet.

  5. Step 5: Toss vigorously with 4–5 tbsp pasta water and the parsley for 1 minute until a lightly creamy sauce forms. Season to taste with salt and serve immediately.

    Timer: 1 min

Tips

  • No Parmesan! Sounds strict, but it's tradition – and it keeps the dish vegan.
  • The starchy pasta water is your sauce. Better to scoop out a cup too much than too little.

Swaps

  • Instead of fresh chilli: ½ tsp chilli flakes.
  • A little lemon zest at the end makes the whole thing fresher.

Storage

Tastes best fresh – toss leftovers briefly in a frying pan with a splash of water the next day.

Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving
Calories724 kcal
Protein17 g
Carbohydrates90 g
Fat32 g

Approximate values per serving. Calculated with BLS 4.0.

All recipes in “Main dishes”

You'll also find this recipe in: Dinner in 20 Minutes, Vegan, Without Compromise

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Shopping list

To tick off while shopping; pantry items such as salt and oil come last.

  • 250 g Spaghetti
  • 4 cloves Garlic
  • 1 Chilli pepper
  • 6 tbsp Olive oil
  • ½ bunch Parsley, flat-leaf

Check the pantry

  • Salt

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Image credits

Image credits:

  • Cover image: “Spaghetti aglio e olio (La Mirada Restaurant Richardstraße Berlin)” by IgorCalzone1, CC BY-SA 4.0, Source – cropped and recompressed
  • Falafel bowl with hummus and herby tabbouleh: “Mixed Plate (3186676853)” by Charles Haynes from Hobart, Australia, CC BY-SA 2.0, Source – cropped and recompressed
  • Tray of roast vegetables and baby potatoes topped with golden chunks of feta and oregano: “Roasted Vegetables (2897937502)” by Mack Male from Edmonton, AB, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, Source – cropped and recompressed
  • Shakshuka with eggs, feta and coriander in a frying pan: “Shakshuka by Calliopejen1” by Calliopejen1, CC BY-SA 3.0, Source – cropped and recompressed
  • Tagliatelle in a creamy mushroom sauce with thyme and Parmesan: “주식회사 엔아이에프앤씨 닐리 파스타 음식 사진2-Spaghetti ai funghi” by 최광모, CC BY-SA 4.0, Source – cropped and recompressed
  • Pumpkin curry with chickpeas and lime: “Pumpkin curry (1861461547)” by Upendra Kanda, CC BY 2.0, Source – cropped and recompressed
  • Beef goulash in a rich paprika sauce served with tagliatelle: “Child Care Recipes (Team Nutiriton) (20211103-FNS-UNC-8742)” by USDAgov, Public domain, Source – cropped and recompressed

All image credits