It was the last day of my summer vacation in Italy and I had already spent most of my budget on gelato and souvenirs. As I sat in my villa, hungry and hopeless, my neighbour offered to teach me how to cook a simple and satisfying Italian pasta dish – Aglio e Olio.
The first step was to boil the pasta, which seemed simple enough, but I had never cooked pasta before. As I watched the spaghetti cook, my neighbour began making the garlic oil sauce for the Aglio e Olio. The smell of garlic and olive oil wafted through the villa and I could feel my mouth start to water.
With the pasta and sauce ready, it was time to combine the two. I nervously poured the garlic oil over the spaghetti, hoping it would turn out as delicious as it smelled. To my surprise, it was amazing! The simple dish was bursting with flavour and satisfied my hunger in the best way possible.
As I enjoyed my last meal in Italy, I couldn’t help but think that Aglio e Olio was my saviour in a moment of desperation. I’ll always be grateful to my neighbour for teaching me this delicious dish. Giving me a taste of Italy that I’ll never forget.
Aglio e Olio is a traditional pasta dish from the region of Abruzzo in central Italy. That translates to “garlic and oil” in Italian. The dish consists of spaghetti cooked al dente. Then tossed in a sauce made with garlic-infused olive oil, red pepper flakes, and sometimes parsley.
Steps
|
1
Done
15 min
|
Prepare the PastaFill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add a generous pinch of salt and the spaghetti. Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions until it is al dente. Drain the spaghetti and reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water. |
|
2
Done
10 min
|
Make the Garlic OilIn a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic is golden brown, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the salt. |
|
3
Done
5 min
|
Combine the Pasta and Garlic OilAdd the cooked spaghetti to the skillet with the garlic oil and toss to coat the pasta in the oil. If the pasta seems dry, add a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen it up. |
|
4
Done
5 min
|
Serve the Aglio e OlioTransfer the aglio e olio to a serving dish and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve hot. |
One Comment Hide Comments
I can’t believe I didn’t discover this recipe sooner. It’s amazing.