Spaghetti Aglio E Olio is a classic Italian Pasta dish made using Spaghetti pasta, garlic and olive oil. This is a simple but very flavourful preparation and is ready within minutes.
I am not a pasta lover and not much into making Italian food at home. The first time I had this dish was at a nearby Pizzahut outlet couple of years ago and I still remember the distinct flavour and the inviting look of this spaghetti dish. It was the first time I could finish a plate of spaghetti - a feat very difficult for me at other times...
The traditional preparation has only few ingredients - spaghetti, garlic, oil and chilli flakes but there are lot of variants. The one I liked at Pizzahut also had vegetables like red and yellow peppers, courgettes (zucchini if you are from the USA) and baby corns.
I was craving for this dish since last week and finally managed to make it on Monday night. It is ideal dish for dinner on a busy weekday.
Ingredients
For two servings:Spaghetti pasta - two measures (1 measure = amount of spaghetti that can fit into your fist)
1 onion - cut into crescents
6-7 garlic pods - finely chopped
1/2 red pepper - sliced
1/2 yellow pepper - sliced
1/2 courgette - cut into matchsticks
5-6 baby corns cut into thin long pieces
Chilli flakes 2 tsp
Italian seasoning - 2 tsp
Crushed black pepper
2 tbsp Olive oil for cooking
Salt to taste
Process
-Take water in a deep pan, add salt and some oil and bring it to boil. In order to cook spaghetti without breaking it into smaller pieces - you need to arrange the pasta so that it is partially submerged.As it cooks, it starts getting soft and falls into the water. Eventually all the spaghetti will be submerged in boiling water and get cooked. Cook until al dente. Drain the water. Keep the cooked spaghetti aside.
-In a shallow pan, take about 2 tbsp oil. Heat the oil and add chopped garlic. Roast the garlic on low flame taking care not to burn it.
-Then add the chilly flakes and seasoning.
-Add the onions and cook till they are slightly softened.
-Add baby corns and peppers. Stir. Add courgettes and stir. Cook the veggies on high flame so that they get slightly charred.
-Add the cooked spaghetti and keep mixing till it is mixed properly.
