Aglio e Olio
A masterclass in three ingredients
This is the dish I recommend to anyone who wants to learn how pasta actually works. If you mess up the emulsion, you can restart without wasting much — there are almost no ingredients. But when you get it right, it's one of the most satisfying things you can cook. Silky, glossy pasta that coats every strand, the low hum of garlic behind everything, and just enough heat from the chilli to keep it interesting.
A note on the chilli: the original Roman version uses dried peperoncino. I use calabrian peppers, because I love them and their oil adds another layer to the base. Use whatever you have and like — the heat and the oil it brings are what matter.
Watch the video
Watch the reel on InstagramIngredients Serves 2
- 200g spaghetti (or pasta of choice)
- 6–8 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
- Good quality olive oil, generous amount
- Small chilli peppers to taste (Calabrian recommended), sliced or chopped
- Small handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- Salt
Instructions
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Prep everything first. Slice the garlic very thin — paper-thin if you can manage it. Thin slices cook gently and melt into the oil; thick ones risk burning unevenly. Slice or chop your chilli peppers. Roughly chop the parsley. Have everything ready before anything goes on heat.
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Boil the pasta. Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta. For boxed dried pasta, cook for 4–6 minutes — you want it pliable but not cooked through, since it will finish in the pan. It should still have real resistance when you bite it at this point.
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Build the base. In a wide pan over low to medium-low heat, add a generous pour of olive oil — enough to coat the bottom with room to spare. Add the garlic and chilli together. You want them to gently sizzle and soften, not fry aggressively. The garlic should turn pale gold and become fragrant without any brown edges. If it's moving too fast, pull the pan off the heat. This is the flavour base and it's easy to ruin by rushing.
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Finish in the pan. Transfer the pasta to the pan using tongs, bringing some pasta water with it. Add another ladleful of pasta water and toss gently, keeping everything moving. The water will steam and reduce; keep adding more ladles as needed to keep the pan loose. Keep cooking, tossing and stirring, until the pasta is fully cooked and the liquid has emulsified into a glossy, lightly thickened sauce that coats every strand. This is mantecatura — read the technique page for more detail on what's happening and why.
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Finish and plate. Once the pasta is cooked and the sauce is glossy and coating, scatter over the parsley and toss once more. Move to a bowl immediately and serve right away — aglio e olio doesn't wait well.
Techniques used in this recipe
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Technique MantecaturaDeep dive →
The technique of finishing pasta in a pan with starchy cooking water to create a silky, emulsified sauce — the difference between pasta that's coated and pasta that's dressed.