Culinary/Recipes/Aglio e Olio

A traditional pasta dish from Naples using long life ingredients from your pantry, with a creamy emulsion made from olive oil and starchy pasta water.

This recipe is for one serving.

Ingredients

For the Pasta:

• 80g (2.8 oz) spaghetti or your preferred pasta
• Salt for boiling water

For the Sauce:

• 1 clove of garlic, finely sliced
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
• 1 tablespoon (15g) freshly chopped parsley (optional)

Method

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil - the water should taste salty. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions or until it's al dente.

• While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a pan over low heat. Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook the garlic very gently in the oil, stirring frequently, until it becomes fragrant and just starts to turn golden. Be careful not to brown or burn it, as it can become bitter.

• When the pasta is al dente, reserve about 1/4 cup (60ml) of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.

• Add the drained pasta to the pan with the garlic and oil. Toss the pasta to coat it thoroughly in the flavourful oil.

• If the pasta seems dry, add a little of the reserved pasta cooking water to achieve desired consistency. The starchy pasta water will help create a light sauce that clings to the pasta.

• Optionally, stir in the freshly chopped parsley for a burst of freshness and colour.

• Serve immediately