Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Green Olives
A Roman-style pasta made with olive oil, garlic, chili flakes, and green olives, finished with pasta water to create a light emulsion. Simple, fast, and technique-driven.
Equipment
- Equipment
- Large pot
- Wide sauté pan
- Tongs or pasta spider
Ingredients
Ingredients
Pasta
- 8 oz spaghetti or spaghettoni
Fat & Aromatics
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes adjust to taste
Salinity & Finish
- ¼ cup green olives pitted and lightly crushed
- Fine sea salt to taste
- 1 –2 tablespoon chopped parsley optional
Instructions
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Add 8 oz spaghetti and cook until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water.
- While the pasta cooks, heat ¼ cup olive oil in a wide sauté pan over low heat. Add 4 sliced garlic cloves and ½ teaspoon chili flakes. Cook gently until fragrant, 1–2 minutes. Do not brown.
- Transfer the pasta directly to the pan along with ¼ cup reserved pasta water.
- Toss vigorously over low heat until the oil and water emulsify into a light, glossy sauce.
- Add ¼ cup crushed green olives and continue tossing, adding more pasta water as needed to maintain a loose emulsion.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt. Remove from heat and finish with parsley if using. Serve immediately.
Notes
Notes
Garlic should soften and perfume the oil, not color. Bitter garlic ruins the dish.
Olives are added at the end to preserve texture and control salinity.
The finished pasta should be coated, not oily.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Best eaten immediately.
Leftovers lose emulsion and texture.
If reheating is unavoidable, warm gently with a splash of water.
