Spaghetti recipe with garlic and oil (authentic method)

Last updated on: July 3, 2026 by Aarthi

Aglio e olio spaghetti is a popular Italian pasta dish made with good quality olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes and parsley. This simple, classic Italian recipe uses the finest ingredients to create the most satisfying pasta dish prepared in less than 15 minutes. There are no heavy sauces and a clear focus on the pasta and the flavor comes from the olive oil, garlic, coriander and chillies.

Garlic and oil spaghetti

I was quite surprised when I came across this recipe about 10 years ago, because at that time I always thought that pasta tasted good when accompanied by strong sauces like tomato sauce or cheese sauce. But this recipe only requires garlic, chili and olive oil and is absolutely delicious.

Yesterday I was craving this dish, so I decided to try it since it only takes a few minutes to prepare. Honestly, the minute the pasta is cooked, the flavorful oil is cooked. Then you just throw the pasta in and dig in immediately.

About the recipe for spaghetti with garlic and oil

Spaghetti aglio e olio is a traditional Italian pasta dish from Naples. It is a typical dish of Neapolitan cuisine and very popular. It is popular because it is inexpensive and uses readily available ingredients that have a long shelf life in a pantry. If you like this dish, you will love my chicken piccata recipe.

Aglio e olio means garlic and oil. The ingredients used in this dish are olive oil, garlic, chili peppers, coriander or parsley. Since these are the main flavors, try to get the best quality in everything.

Even though this pasta dish is easy to prepare, there is a simple technique used to create a creamy sauce. It is the emulsification of pasta water and olive oil. The two are mixed until they become so creamy, which coats the pasta better.

This aglio e olio has a very mild taste, so you can enjoy it with spicy grilled chicken or French chicken. Kids love it with garlic bread.

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If you like this dish, you can add different ingredients in this pasta dish. Some of the popular variations include the broccoli and shrimp version.

Add the blanched broccoli to the dish. The broccoli and broccoli stems add a nice crunch in between. You can also use shrimp instead of broccoli in this recipe.

Some recipes add freshly grated parmesan for an even creamier, cheesier touch to this dish. Be sure to enjoy it immediately to enjoy the creamy, oily taste of aglio e olio pasta. If you prefer something higher in protein, check out my Paneer Pasta and Garlic Butter Pasta.

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Ingredients

• Pasta – this dish is made with spaghetti because it is long and thin, it coats well with the delicate oil sauce. Angel hair noodles are another popular dough used.
• Olive Oil – since the main flavor depends on the oil. Use high quality olive oil for this dish.
• Garlic – use freshly chopped garlic and use a lot of it.
• Chili peppers – you can use fresh red peppers if you can find them. Or use red pepper flakes.
• Coriander leaves and stem – the stem of coriander or parsley is used at the beginning of cooking and the leaves are added at the end.

Step by step photos

1) Start by cooking the pasta. Because as you cook the pasta, you can start preparing the sauce side by side.

Bring plenty of water to a boil in a saucepan. Once the water starts to boil, place the spaghetti in it and immerse it in the boiling water. Cook 6 to 7 minutes. Pasta should be cooked 2 minutes less than package directions. Because by remaining 2 minutes the pasta will cook in the sauce.

2) Now take a frying pan. Don’t put it on the heat yet, add the garlic, red peppers and coriander stalk to the oil.

3) Place the pan over medium-low heat and sauté the garlic and chiles until lightly browned.

4) Now remove the coriander stalk from the oil and discard it.

5) Take a ladle (½ cup) of starchy pasta water and pour it into the garlic-chili mixture.

6) Use a spatula to mix the pasta water with the olive oil to emulsify the mixture.

7) The oil and pasta water will emulsify to create this sauce.

8) Now remove the cooked pasta from the boiling water and place it in the frying pan. Mix well using tongs or a spatula to coat the pasta with the emulsified sauce.

9) Now add coriander leaves and mix well to create a creamy sauce.

10) You can add more pasta water if needed to create a sauce.

11) Look how creamy the sauce is.

12) Serve immediately.

Expert advice

• Make sure to cook the pasta 2 minutes below so that it doesn’t overcook when mixing.
• Make sure to use a generous amount of olive oil and garlic which are the main flavoring.
• You can use grated parmesan at the end for more umami and flavor.
• Instead of spaghetti, you can also use angel hair pasta.

Portion

Spaghetti aglio e olio tastes best when served hot. Enjoy with garlic bread or grilled chicken, French-style chicken

📖 Get the recipe

Spaghetti recipe with garlic and oil (authentic method)

Aglio e olio spaghetti is a popular Italian pasta dish made with good quality olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes and parsley. This simple, classic Italian recipe uses the finest ingredients to create the most satisfying pasta dish prepared in less than 15 minutes. There are no heavy sauces and a clear focus on the pasta and the flavor comes from the olive oil, garlic, coriander and chillies.

Preparation time 5 minutes minutes

Cooking time 10 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total duration 15 minutes minutes

Course Main course

Kitchen Italian

Servings 2 servings

Calories 601 kilocalories

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Spaghetti recipe with garlic and oil (authentic method)

Amount per serving

% daily value*

*Percent Daily Values ​​are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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