Easy Weeknight Dinner | Italian Pasta Aglio e Olio
Pasta aglio e olio is the Italian way of saying pasta with garlic and olive oil. This is such an easy recipe and is my go-to when I’ve had a busy day and haven’t had time to make anything else for dinner. The recipe laid out below is the basic, tried and trued pasta aglio e oilo recipe. What’s great is that this recipe can be dressed up. What I mean by this is that you add to it! Depending on what I have on hand, I sometimes like to add fresh chopped vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower, prosciutto or pancetta, frozen peas or sometimes a combination. Truth be told, adding vegetables always makes me feel like I’m serving a healthier version of the meal.
If you choose to add fresh vegetables, prosciutto or pancetta add items to the pan while frying the garlic in the olive oil. If you opt for frozen peas, I like to add this to the boiling pasta water when the pasta is almost complete. You may notice the water temporarily stops boiling. Once the water comes back to a boil and the pasta is al dente, remove from heat, drain into a colander and continue with the steps outlined below.
I’d love to know what you think if you try this recipe. Leave a comment below! I hope you enjoy.
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
METHOD
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for a few minutes less than the directions on the packing to ensure the pasta is al dente. The reason for this is that we want the pasta to finish cooking once we place it in the skillet.
- While the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet, heat oil and garlic over medium high heat. Cook until the garlic is a light golden brown (approximately 2 minutes). Turn off heat and add the crushed red pepper.
- Set aside 1 cup of pasta water.
- Remove the al dente pasta from the water by draining into a colander, then add directly to the skillet with the oil and garlic. Return the skillet to a medium high heat.
- Add 1/2 cup of the pasta water and stir to create a sauce.
- Add the cheese, fresh ground black pepper and parsley. Slowly add the remaining cup of pasta water and continue to stir until a thicken sauce is formed.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
