Spaghetti Aglio e Olio is a popular Italian pasta. This is a simple vegan pasta recipe. Here spaghetti is tossed in sautéed garlic and olive oil, red pepper flakes, and parsley.
This is one of the lazy vegan recipes that you can make for your dinner on busy weeknight dinners. This spaghetti is a real comfort food which is easy and quick too. Also, it takes only 10 - 15 minutes. This is the simplest pasta recipe and I love this Spaghetti Aglio e Olio. Read my other pasta salad recipe.
What is Spaghetti Aglio e Olio?
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio is a classic Italian pasta. Aglio refers to garlic and olio refers to oil in Italian. Here we toss the spaghetti pasta olive oil along with lots of minced garlic. Other ingredients are chili flakes and parsley leaves. I add lots of garlic to my spaghetti. For a less garlic flavor, you can reduce the quantity. And this garlic adds a lot of freshness to the pasta.
Why you will love this spaghetti with garlic and oil in the Instant pot?
Though I make them in 2 ways, i.e. on the stovetop, in the instant pot. Many of my readers ask why to make it in the instant pot? But I love it equally both stovetop and instant pot. Here this instant pot method is one you will love because of few factors, like:-
- this is easy to make, takes 10 minutes all together
- one pot recipe - no need of other utensils like pan/ pot, colander
- dump the pasta, set the timer & forget
- makes perfectly moist spaghetti - no need to preserve pasta water to make it moist n flavorful. It gets cooked in the water itself along with other ingredients. So this adds more flavor to the pasta.
How to make spaghetti aglio e olio (Spaghetti with garlic and oil)?
This is an easy recipe. I make them in 2 ways - Instant pot & stovetop. And both are equally easy and delicious.
Ingredients:-
There are only 5 ingredients (excluding salt & water).
- Spaghetti pasta
- Extra virgin olive oil (or olive oil + butter)
- Fresh garlic cloves
- Red Pepper Flakes (Chilli flakes)
- Fresh parsley leaves
Spaghetti Aglio Olio in an Instant Pot
Sauté garlic in oil
Start instant pot on sauté mode for 5 minutes. Once the inner pot is hot, add olive oil to it. When it's hot, add chopped garlic and sauté till it starts to turn brown slightly. Now add red pepper flakes and finely chopped parsley leaves. Now turn off the IP.
Deglaze the pot and add spaghetti
Add water and deglaze the pot. Add salt to it. Now break the spaghetti in halves. Add them to the pot. Make sure these are wet if not immersed completely. You can also place them in criss-cross so that they will not be sticky. This is to avoid a "burn" message on IP. Don't stir the mixture now.
Set the IP on pressure cook
Close the lid of the IP and seal the vent knob. Now start the IP on manual pressure cook mode for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, allow it for NPR for 5 minutes. Quick-release the rest pressure. Then remove the lid.
After opening the lid, you may see the pasta is a little watery. Don't worry. Just leave the inner pot on the hot plate for a few more minutes, water will be evaporated. Or start the IP on saute mode for 1 minute. Then remove the inner pot out from the hot plate of IP to stop excess cooking.
Serve
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio is ready. Add some more fresh parsley (and parmesan cheese) and serve it hot. Here I have not added parmesan to the pasta.
Is this spaghetti pasta vegan?
Yes, this spaghetti pasta is vegan. Here I'm using only olive oil & no cheese. If you don't follow a vegan diet, then you can add a little butter to the olive oil for extra flavor while sautéing garlic for this pasta. Also you can add parmesan cheese while serving the pasta.
Expert Tip -
Use thick spaghetti pasta only. The thin pasta will turn mushy in this recipe. You can also double the recipe. The time won't change in that case.
Use extra virgin olive oil for the best and authentic flavor. Adding half olive oil and half butter also adds more flavor.
Reduce or increase the quantity of red pepper flakes depending on how spicy you need this pasta to be. If you don't have ready chili flakes, then just take 2 dried red chilies and cut them small with help of scissors.
Add fresh parsley while cooking + before serving the pasta.
If not vegan, then use freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Always break the spaghetti before adding it to the instant pot. Place them criss-cross to avoid overstuffing at one place which may prevent even cooking.
Stovetop Spaghetti Aglio Olio
After sharing the instant pot version of the spaghetti Aglio olio, many of my readers who were Italian and into traditional beliefs and don't like to break the pasta can make this on the stovetop too. Italians don't break spaghetti - ITALIAN RULE. Respect every culture and tradition. So here is my stovetop spaghetti which is easy too.
Cook the pasta al dente
Heat water on a large pot. Add salt to it generously 1 tbsp to 1 ltr water. When water starts to boil, add spaghetti to the pot. When the base becomes softer it will start immersing into the bowl. Simmer for 5 - 6 minutes or till the pasta is cooked al dente.
Reserve 1/2 cup water from the pasta pot (pasta water). Remove the spaghetti from hot water and wash it under regular water for a minute. This is to stop overcooking the pasta. You can drizzle a tbsp of olive oil to coat.
Saute garlic in olive oil
Heat olive oil in a pan. Add minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds till it starts to turn brownish and cooked. Add finely chopped parsley and chili flakes. saute for 10 - 15 seconds.
Then add the reserved pasta water. Let it simmer for a minute and then add the cooked spaghetti to the pan. Now mix them nicely coating the spaghetti with garlic, parsley, and chili flakes. If required season with a pinch of salt (if not added right amount of salt while cooking pasta). Turn off heat. Add some more finely chopped parsley on top and serve hot. Spaghetti Aglio olio is ready.
Spaghetti with Garlic & Olive Oil
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (Spaghetti with garlic & olive oil)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 oz spaghetti pasta
- 3 tsp olive oil extra virgin
- 8 - 10 garlic pods finely chopped
- salt to taste
- 2 + 2 tbsp parsley leaves finely chopped
- 2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Start the IP on saute mode for 3 minutes.
- Once it's hot, add olive oil to the inner pot.
- Then add finely chopped garlic and saute for a minute till it turns brown.
- Now add red pepper flakes, freshly chopped parsley leaves.
- Saute for 30 - 40 seconds more.
- Now deglaze and add water to the inner pot.
- Add salt to the water.
- Cancel the saute mode now.
- Break the spagheti into halves and put in the inner pot in a criss-cross way.
- Don't stir at this stage.
- Close the lid and seal the vent.
- Start the IP on manual pressure cook mode for 5 minutes.
- Once the pressure cooking done, allow it for NPR for 5 minutes followed by quick release for rest.
- Remove the lid and give a stir to the spaghetti with help of a tong.
- If it's still a little watery, then keep it like that on the hot plate for some time for the liquid to evaporate.
- Toss it once or twice with help of a tong or spatula to make sure the liquid reduced completely.
- The spaghetti is now perfectly moist and well cooked with flavor of fresh garlic.
- Add some more freshly chopped parsley leaves and parmesan cheese and serve them hot.
Stovetop Method
- Heat water on a large pot. Add salt to it generously 1 tbsp to 1 ltr water. When water starts to boil, add spaghetti to the pot.
- When the base becomes softer it will start immersing into the bowl. Simmer for 5 - 6 minutes or till the pasta is cooked al dente.
- Reserve 1/2 cup water from the pasta pot (pasta water). Remove the spaghetti from hot water and wash it under regular water for a minute. You can drizzle a tbsp of olive oil to coat.
- Heat olive oil in a pan. Add minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds till it starts to turn brownish and cooked. Add finely chopped parsley and chili flakes. saute for 10 - 15 seconds.
- Then add the reserved pasta water. Let it simmer for a minute and then add the cooked spaghetti to the pan. Now mix them nicely coating the spaghetti with garlic, parsley, and chili flakes.
- Turn off heat. Add some more finely chopped parsley on top and serve hot. Spaghetti Aglio olio is ready.
Video
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