Pasta Aglio e Olio

Pasta aglio e olio (also known as spaghetti aglio e olio) is the easiest pasta recipe you can make. It’s super tasty and only requires 5 ingredients.

pasta aglio and olio

Pasta aglio e olio or spaghetti aglio e olio is probably the simplest, Italian, pasta recipe you can make, and it’s extremely tasty!

Pasta aglio e olio means pasta with garlic and oil in Italian, so it’s pretty obvious which ones are the basic ingredients of this recipe: pasta (usually spaghetti), garlic and extra virgin olive oil.

There are other ingredients you can add, like peperoncino flakes, fresh parsley, pine nuts or ground black pepper. I’ve only used 5 ingredients (and one of them is optional) because I like to keep things simple.

Some people add some grated Parmesan on top, but I think it’s not necessary as this dish is actually full of flavor. However, if you want to make your pasta even more flavorful, try to add my vegan Parmesan cheese, it’s out of this world and ready in less than 5 minutes!

I’ve never made this recipe without oil, but I guess you could sautée the garlic with some water or vegetable stock and then add some cooking water to the pasta, instead of the oil. To make it super creamy, try to mix some tahini or any nut butter with some water, and add it to the pasta, instead of the cooking water.

pasta aglio e olio ingredients

These are the ingredients you’ll need to make this pasta aglio e olio recipe:

• Spaghetti – I used gluten-free spaghetti, but any type of spaghetti will do, and even other kinds of pasta.
• Garlic – Fresh garlic is ideal for this recipe, as garlic is one of the main (and few) ingredients.
• Extra virgin olive oil – I’m Spanish, so I use extra virgin olive oil to cook most of my dishes. However, any type of oil is okay. I always use extra virgin oils when possible because they’re healthier.
• Red pepper flakes – The classic recipe calls for peperoncino flakes, but red pepper flakes are a good alternative. This ingredient is optional, so you can omit it if you’re not into spicy food.
• Parsley – I prefer to use fresh parsley for this recipe, but you could also add any other fresh or dried herb.

how to make pasta aglio e olio

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to package directions.
2. Add the garlic and oil to a skillet and cook over medium heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Then add the red pepper flakes and cook for 1-2 minutes more.
3. Drain the pasta and place it back to the pot, add the oil mixture and the fresh parsley. Stir until well combined and add more oil or some cooking water if needed.
4. Serve immediately or keep leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.

looking for more pasta recipes?

• Vegan Mac and Cheese
• Vegan Pasta Alfredo
• Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta and Beans)
• Vegan Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
• Vegan Pasta Salad

did you make this pasta aglio e olio recipe?

Please leave a comment below, share it, rate it or tag a picture @simpleveganblog on Instagram and hashtag it #simpleveganblog. We’d love to see what you cook!

Pasta Aglio e Olio

• Author: Simple Vegan Blog
• Prep: 5 mins
• Cook: 10 mins
• Total: 15 mins
• 2–4 1x
• Main Dish
• Italian

Servings 2–4 1x

Scale 1x2x3x Tap or hover over number to scale servings

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Pasta aglio e olio (also known as spaghetti aglio e olio) is the easiest pasta recipe you can make. It’s super tasty and only requires 5 ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti (225 g or 16 oz), gluten-free if needed
• 4 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (4 tbsp)
• Dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti according to package directions.
2. In the meanwhile, add the garlic and oil to a skillet and cook over medium heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add the red pepper flakes and cook for 1-2 minutes more.
3. Drain the pasta and place it back to the pot, add the oil mixture and the parsley. Toss until the pasta is evenly coated. Add more oil or some cooking water if the pasta is too dry for you. 
4. Serve immediately or keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Notes

• Nutritional info has been calculated by using regular spaghetti. I used gluten-free spaghetti, though.
• The sodium amount is not accurate, as the salt in the cooking water is not included because the pasta doesn’t absorb all the salt and there’s no way to know how much sodium this dish contains.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/4 of the recipe
• Calories: 334
• Sugar: 1.6 g
• Sodium: 4 mg (see notes)
• Fat: 14.9 g
• Saturated Fat: 2.2 g
• Carbohydrates: 43.1 g
• Fiber: 1.9 g
• Protein: 7.6 g