Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
March 22, 2020
This is the pasta made famous in the Movie Chef with Jon Favreau. It’s similar in composition and flavor to the Broccoli and Garlic Pasta served at Frank Prisinzano’s restaurants. Though the name “aglio e olio” is Italian for “garlic and oil”, I think the real standout of this dish composed by Roy Choi (the food consultant on the movie Chef), is the addition of heapings of chopped parsley. Parsley is normally used as a sparing garnish, but the heaping amount here makes the dish visually interesting and allows you to really appreciate the flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti, uncooked
- 12 large cloves garlic, sliced thinly and dried on paper towels
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 cup parsley, minced
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- butter
- salt
- red pepper flakes
- black pepper
- lemon juice
Equipment
- Stock pot
Instructions
- Prepare the spaghetti according to the directions in a large salted stock pot of boiling water. If the box of spaghetti gives a range, like 8-10 minutes, use the lower end to keep the spaghetti al dente.
- Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid and drain the spaghetti in a colander. Return the stock pot to the stove over medium heat.
- Add the olive oil and allow to heat for about a minute.
- Add the garlic slices and red pepper flakes and stir for about 2 minutes, until the garlic is golden brown.
- Add some salt and pepper, and half of the reserved cooking liquid= allow to come to a low boil.
- Lower the heat to low and add the drained spaghetti. Toss until the spaghetti is thoroughly coated with the garlic oil. Add more of the reserved water as necessary if it is dry.
- Remove from heat and add the parsley and parmesan cheese. Toss well to combine.
- Plate by twirling with a fork or tongs and setting onto the plate. Garnish with salt, additional parmesan cheese, and parsley and serve immediately.
This recipe was adapted from:
Written by Will Chiong who lives and works in New York building useful things.