Garlic and green olives toasted in olive oil then simmered in pasta water. Finish by tossing the spaghetti, parsley, and red chili flakes. This spin on the traditional Italian dish spaghetti aglio e olio uses simple ingredients to create a show stopping pasta that’s bright and flavorful.
Ingredients
- 1lb dry spaghetti
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 5 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 cup Pearls Specialties Garlic-Stuffed Queen Olives, coarsely chopped, plus more for garnish.
- 1½ pasta water
- ¼ cup minced parsley
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more for serving
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 ounce shaved parmesan
Cooking Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the spaghetti until just al dente, around 9-12 minutes, depending on the package instructions. Just before it’s done cooking, reserve 1½ cups of the pasta water before draining.
- Meanwhile, in a large deep skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the sliced garlic and chopped olives, and cook, stirring, until the garlic turns golden brown but not burnt, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat while you wait for the pasta to finish cooking.
- When the pasta has finished, return the garlic and olive skillet to medium heat and slowly pour in the reserved pasta water, taking care as it may splatter a bit at first. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook until the water has reduced in half, about 5-8 minutes.
- Add the drained pasta to the skillet, using tongs to toss until completely coated.
- Transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the parsley, remaining tablespoon of olive oil, red pepper flakes, and salt and toss to combine. Top with shaved parmesan and whole garlic-stuffed queen olives as garnish. Serve warm with more salt and red pepper flakes, as desired.
