Aglio e Olio

Pasta in a Garlic and Olive Oil Sauce. A simple and delicious traditional Italian dish.

My husband used to work with a young Italian man who brought leftover Aglio e olio to work for lunch one day. His version had no dried chili pepper in it, but it did have paprika and John really liked it. This recipe will serve 4-6.

1 lb. pasta (spaghetti, linguine, fetuccini, what ever you like)
1/2 cup of good quality olive oil
4 - 8 thinly sliced garlic cloves
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Optional Ingredients:
Paprika
1 or 2 Tblsp. minced fresh herbs such as parsley, fresh oregano or a mixture 
Freshly grated parmesan

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Bring a large pot of salted water to a full boil. Cook the pasta al dente and drain, saving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. 

While the pasta is cooking, warm the olive oil in a large skillet ( I prefer cast iron), add the garlic and heat just until the garlic turns golden. If you are using the red pepper flakes, add them here. You can remove the garlic now if you want, or just leave it.

Pour the olive oil over the pasta and then stir in the salt, paprika, and herbs. If the pasta seems dry add a bit of the reserved pasta water.

Serve immediately with some freshly ground black pepper, and a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese. You could also have a cruet of olive oil at the table for drizzling a little more on.


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