Pasta Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino

The Roman and southern Italian staple: garlic, olive oil, dried chilli, spaghetti. Nothing else. This dish is a pure technique exercise — the difference between good and bad aglio e olio is entirely in execution.

Ingredients (4 servings)

• 320g dry pasta (spaghetti)
• 15g garlic (3–4 cloves), thinly sliced
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2g dried chilli pepper (1–2 small pods), crumbled

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Salt generously. Cook spaghetti to 2 minutes less than package time — it will finish in the sauce.

2. Infuse the oil While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced garlic and crumbled chilli. Cook slowly until the garlic is pale gold and fragrant — approximately 2–3 minutes. Do not let the garlic brown; burnt garlic is bitter and cannot be rescued.

3. Combine Reserve 200ml of pasta water before draining. Transfer the pasta directly into the garlic oil using tongs. Add 3–4 tbsp of pasta water. Toss vigorously over medium heat for 60–90 seconds until the oil and water emulsify into a light, glossy coating on the pasta.

4. Serve Serve immediately. No cheese — this dish relies entirely on the garlic-chilli oil.

Notes

The oil quantity matters: 4 tablespoons for 320g pasta is the minimum for a proper coating. Less oil produces a dry dish. The garlic must be sliced, not minced — slices cook more evenly and provide visible texture in the finished plate.

This is the cheapest pasta in the Italian repertoire. Total ingredient cost for 4 servings is typically under €1.00.