Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
This pantry staple dish is simple and full of flavor. If you love garlic, this will be your new go-to pasta dish.
Equipment
- large pot for cooking spaghetti
- large skillet for the sauce
- frying pan for toasting breadcrumbs
Ingredients
- 1 lb. dry spaghetti (linguine would also work)
- 1 cup reserved pasta water (I usually use less, but good to have extra in case dish gets dry)
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 whole shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp. dried parsley
- salt
- pepper
- ¼ cup dry breadcrumbs, toasted (I like to use a mix of Panko for crunch and Italian seasoned for flavor)
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add the spaghetti. Cook to al dente (about 9 minutes). Drain the spaghetti, reserving 1 cup of pasta water, and set aside.
- While the water boils, in a frying pan drizzle some olive oil and heat on medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs, stirring to coat. When breadcrumbs are crispy and golden colored, remove them from the heat and set aside.
- Next, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the red pepper flakes to the oil and let them bloom for 1 minute. Then add the garlic and shallots to the oil and stir to coat. Sauté for about 2-3 minutes, or until they start to turn a slight golden color. (Don't go beyond this or they will start to turn crispy.) Add in dried parsley.Remove the skillet from the heat and carefully stir in half of the reserved pasta water, thickening the sauce. (Adding this starchy water will also help to prevent the garlic and shallots from crisping.) Bring the skillet back to the heat and simmer on medium-low.
- Add the cooked spaghetti to the skillet and toss to coat. Add additional pasta water, little by little, if the spaghetti starts to look dry, and stir until well coated. Remove from heat.Sprinkle toasted breadcrumbs on top to serve.