Garlic and Oil Spaghetti
Garlic and Oil Spaghetti, also known as Aglio e Olio, is an Italian dish that translates from Italian to "garlic and oil." It's the ultimate frugal-meets-fancy meal. It’s rich in flavor, costs under a dollar per serving, and requires zero special ingredients.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 718kcal
Cost: Recipe $3.89 / Serving $0.97
Ingredients
- 16 ounces spaghetti ($0.98)
- ½ cup olive oil ($1.39)
- 5-8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or minced ($0.35)
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, to taste ($0.04)
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley or Italian seasoning ($0.08)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese ($1.05)
- salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta. Cook the spaghetti in well-salted water until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
- Make garlic oil. While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook until the garlic is lightly golden, not browned.
- Combine. Add the drained spaghetti to the skillet along with the dried parsley or Italian seasoning and a splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss to coat and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the oil clings to the noodles.
- Finish. Add the grated Parmesan cheese and toss again until evenly coated. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve. Serve hot.
Notes
- Timing matters. Start your garlic oil a few minutes before the pasta is done. You want everything hot and ready to marry.
- Don’t walk away from the garlic. It burns fast. Aim for golden edges, not brown.
- Use pasta water wisely. It’s full of starch and helps the oil coat the noodles evenly.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 718kcal | Carbohydrates: 88g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 376mg | Potassium: 297mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 183IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 2mg
