Homemade pasta dishes aren’t limited to bolognese or lasagna, and with the right recipe, they require very few ingredients to taste delicious.
The authentic Italian dish known as Spaghetti Aglio e Olio is as simple as it gets when it comes to home cooking, and it couldn’t be easier to cook to perfection thanks to this expert recipe from Phil Bianchi.
The founding expert of The Gift of Oil, Phil’s expertise as a master of food and flavor means he is well-versed in creating dishes where every ingredient shines through.
His take on Spaghetti Aglio e Olio requires just six ingredients, making it a “perfect recipe” to cook in “about 10 minutes.”
Phil added: “The simplicity of the ingredients makes it cost effective as most of the ingredients are often kitchen cupboard staples.”
Phil’s simple spaghetti recipe
Ingredients
250 g of spaghetti or other long pasta
60 ml of Sicilian olive oil
Two cloves of garlic, sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
A handful of chopped parsley
11 g parmesan, add more if needed
Add salt to taste
Method
Phil’s take on Spaghetti Aglio e Olio is simple in its list of ingredients and methods, and it’s ready in just a few steps.
First make sure all the ingredients are cut as needed and then set aside. Heat a pot of water seasoned with salt to boiling and add the spaghetti.
While the spaghetti is cooking, gently heat the olive oil in a frying pan and finely slice the garlic cloves
Add the garlic and chilli flakes to the pan and cook gently for a few minutes or until the garlic is light golden. Phil cautioned against over-colouring the garlic and advised: “Be careful not to heat the garlic and chilli for too long as it can make it bitter!”
When the garlic and chili are fragrant and cooked, stir in the chopped parsley. Now drain the spaghetti, saving about 60ml of the cooking water – “this keeps the spaghetti nice and moist,” said Phil.
Add the spaghetti to the frying pan and mix well to cover the oil, gradually add the starchy cooking water until the pasta is moist and juicy.
Cook on medium heat for 30 seconds, stirring a couple of times. Sprinkle extra chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese over the spaghetti and enjoy.
