Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Spaghetti aglio e olio, or spaghetti with garlic and oil, is a wonderfully simple dish that hails from Naples, Italy. Often called “midnight pasta” or spaghettata di mezzanotte, it’s a late-night favorite among chefs and home cooks because it’s quick, comforting, and comes together with just a handful of pantry staples. Add an arugula salad, and dinner’s done!

The recipe couldn’t be easier: cook the spaghetti, sauté thinly sliced garlic in olive oil until golden and fragrant, then toss it all together with red pepper flakes, parsley, a splash of pasta water, and a generous sprinkle of freshly grated cheese. It’s the epitome of Italian cooking—straightforward yet incredibly satisfying—and belongs in any weeknight (or midnight!) pasta rotation.

What You’ll Need To Make Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

• Salt: Seasons both the pasta cooking water and the finished sauce, ensuring the spaghetti is flavorful from the inside out.
• Spaghetti: The classic pasta for aglio e olio. While spaghetti is traditional and absorbs the sauce nicely, you can use any pasta you like, though the cooking time may vary.
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Forms the base of the sauce, so this is a good place to use an olive oil you really like. It gently cooks the garlic while giving the finished pasta richness and flavor.
• Garlic: The defining flavor of aglio e olio. Thin slices cook gently in the olive oil until lightly golden, infusing the oil with plenty of garlicky flavor without becoming harsh or bitter.
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Add a gentle kick of heat that balances the richness of the olive oil and cheese. Pass extra at the table for anyone who likes more heat.
• Fresh Italian Parsley: Adds a fresh, herby flavor and a little color.
• Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano: Adds salty, savory flavor and, when stirred in with the starchy pasta water, helps create a creamy sauce that clings to the spaghetti. Pecorino is sharper and saltier, while Parmigiano is a bit milder and nuttier. (Traditional aglio e olio is often made without cheese, but I like adding some—it gives the sauce a little more body and savory flavor, and helps it cling beautifully to the spaghetti.)
• Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

How To Make Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Step 1: Cook the pasta. Cook the spaghetti until al dente. Don’t forget to reserve plenty of pasta water before draining. An easy trick is to put a measuring cup or heatproof mug right in the colander while the pasta cooks—you’ll have to move it before you can drain the pasta, so it’s a pretty foolproof reminder.

Step 2: Cook the garlic. Gently cook the sliced garlic in the olive oil until lightly golden, lowering the heat as soon as it starts to sizzle. Garlic can go from golden to burnt quickly, so keep a close eye on it and stir often. Evenly sliced garlic helps here, too, since the pieces will cook at about the same rate. 

Step 3: Add the red pepper flakes and pasta water. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the red pepper flakes, then add some of the reserved pasta water. Besides forming the base of the sauce, the water immediately brings down the temperature of the oil and stops the garlic from continuing to cook.

Step 4: Add the pasta. Add the drained spaghetti, salt, and more of the reserved pasta water to the pan. Don’t worry if there seems to be a fair amount of liquid at this point; some will be absorbed by the pasta, and the rest will help form the sauce.

Step 5: Finish the sauce. Toss the pasta over medium-high heat until the sauce starts to come together, adding more pasta water if things look dry, then stir in the parsley and cheese. The sauce may look a little loose at first, but keep tossing—the starchy pasta water helps the olive oil and cheese come together into a silky sauce that coats the spaghetti.

Step 6: Serve. Serve the pasta right away with extra cheese at the table. If it needs to sit for a few minutes, transfer it to a serving bowl rather than leaving it in the skillet, where the cheese can start to stick as it cools.