Garlic Spaghetti

Five ingredients. That’s all that stands between you and a plate of spaghetti that tastes like you know what you’re doing in the kitchen.

This is essentially spaghetti aglio e olio, the Italian pantry staple that proves you don’t need a complex sauce to make great pasta. Garlic cooks in olive oil until golden (not brown, golden), then gets tossed with hot spaghetti, reserved pasta water, fresh parsley, and grated Parmesan.

The reserved pasta cooking water is the secret ingredient. Those four tablespoons of starchy liquid emulsify with the olive oil when stirred over low heat, creating a silky coating on every strand instead of greasy noodles sitting in a puddle of oil.

Stir the pasta in the garlic pan for 3 to 4 minutes. That time on low heat lets the spaghetti absorb flavor from the garlic oil and finish cooking in the starchy liquid.

Chef Tips

• Slice the garlic thin and watch it constantly. The window between golden and burnt garlic is about 30 seconds, and burnt garlic turns bitter and ruins the dish.
• Use good olive oil. In a recipe this simple, you taste every ingredient. Cheap oil means a cheap-tasting plate.
• Salt the pasta water generously. It’s your only chance to season the noodles themselves.

Variations

• Peperoncino: Add red pepper flakes to the garlic oil for classic aglio e olio peperoncino with a spicy kick.
• Anchovy depth: Melt two anchovy fillets into the oil before adding garlic. They dissolve completely and add an umami richness without a fishy taste.