This vegan spaghetti with garlic and olive oil is so simple and satisfying. Pasta aglio olio is an Italian classic first course that everyone needs to try at least once in their lifetime. It’s so simple and yet so fulfilling and delicious. It brings together the main elements of Italian cuisine: simplicity, creativity and comfort. No one can resist this.
Today was one of those days when after a long day of work I just felt like some quick take out and Netflix. But since Louise and I pledge to not eat out in 2020 (mainly to save money and be healthier), we decided to cook the simplest meal of all. Pasta aglio olio.
But don’t be fooled. While quick and simple, this staple Italian dish is full of flavour.
Here’s a breakdown of the ingredients. You’ll want Italian pasta. Spaghetti or linguine are the best for this dish. Exclusively made with hard wheat flour, preferably imported from Italy. You’ll need garlic, “aglio” in Italian and extra virgin olive oil: that is “olio” in Italian. You are going to need some good quality one as this is the main ingredient of this dish. No other oil will work!
Red hot chili peppers, which is “peperoncino” in Italian. Here you can use either fresh red chilis or you can use chili flakes as we do. Flat leaves parsley is optional but we strongly recommend it. Not everyone in Italy puts parsley in their pasta aglio e olio. You’ll need sea salt to salt the pasta cooking water. As an Italian, I believe that is important to have good quality coarse sea salt or else your pasta won’t taste as good.
Simple and Satisfying Vegan Spaghetti With Garlic and Olive Oil
Ingredients
- 300 grams spaghetti (or bavette or linguine)
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ to 1 tbsp chili flakes
- 60-100 ml olive oil, extra virgin
- 2 handfuls flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
- 2 tbsp coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Start by finely chopping the parsley and the garlic.
- In a large pot, bring three to four litres (one gallon) of water to boil. Then add the coarse sea salt.
- Cook the pasta in the boiling water for the time that’s on the package minus one minute.
- While the pasta cooks, add the olive oil to a non stick or stainless steel pan.
- When the oil is warm, add the finely chopped garlic. Let fry in the oil for about one minute. Make sure your heat is on low and the oil doesn’t get too hot. You don’t want to burn the oil, nor the garlic.
- When the garlic turns into a light golden colour, add the chili flakes. Let fry with the garlic for 30 seconds to one minute. Again, make sure the garlic does’t burn. If the oil gets too hot, turn off the heat.
- Finally, add the finally chopped parsley to the pan and turn the heat off. Cook the parsley with the residual heat of the pan.
- When the pasta is ready, drain it and toss it in the pan. Turn on the heat on medium and finish cooking the pasta in the pan with the sauce while stirring for another minute. Add a ladle or two of pasta water to make the whole thing come together.
- Serve immediately with some extra chili flakes and parsley on top. Enjoy this simple and delicious meal.
6.4.5
If you liked my vegan pasta dish, try making my classic Italian-style vegan bruschetta with tomatoes and garlic. The plant-based recipe features ripe tomatoes, garlic, and a hearty loaf of bread. Bruschetta with tomatoes is a classic Italian-style recipe that is super easy to make and naturally vegan. Made with simple healthy ingredients, it can be enjoyed as an antipasto (starter) or as a main.
Or, try making my vegan stuffed bell peppers. This meatless dinner recipe features rice and lots of veggies.
This recipe was republished with permission from The Plant-Based School.
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