Linguine Aglio e Olio

5 from 5 votes

With just a few simple ingredients, linguine aglio e olio is truly the best pasta dish to make when you're pressed for time but still craving an amazing and flavorful meal!

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: James Delmage

Ingredients

6 cloves garlic sliced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes or to taste
1 pound (454g) linguine
salt to taste
1/4 cup minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
2 cups (480ml) pasta water reserve a lot just in case

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the linguine to 1 minute less than al dente.
Heat a large pan to medium-low with the extra virgin olive oil and add the garlic. Once the garlic turns golden (about 3-4 minutes) add the red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds more.
Add 1 ladle of pasta water to the garlic and oil and turn the heat to medium.
Add the linguine and toss or mix to coat. Add more pasta water if it starts to dry out. Cook until the pasta is just done (around 1 minute) then remove the pan from the heat.
Taste the pasta and season with salt to taste. Add a big drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and all the parsley to the pan. Toss once more. If the pasta is at all dry add a couple ounces at a time of the reserved pasta water to get the consistency just right. Serve immediately with grated pecorino or parmesan. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Linguine is far superior to spaghetti for this dish, though either can be used.
Make sure to add plenty of salt to taste right before serving.
Use high-quality extra virgin olive oil, at least to finish, but preferably for sauteing the garlic as well.
Always reserve the pasta water. If the pasta dries out before serving, just add a few ounces of the pasta water to bring the consistency back to perfect.
Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

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