| Spaghetti aglio e olio | |
| Country: | Italy |
| Region: | Campania |
| Course: | Primo (Italian pasta course) |
| Main Ingredient: | Spaghetti, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, parsley, chili flakes, salt |
| Variations: | Spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino (with chili pepper) |
| Fat: | 20% |
| Carbohydrate: | 80% |
Spaghetti aglio e olio (pronounced as /it/;) is a pasta dish typical of the city of Naples, in the Campania region of Italy. It is a typical dish of Neapolitan cuisine and is widely popular. Its popularity can be attributed to it being simple to prepare and the fact that it makes use of inexpensive, readily available ingredients that have long shelf lives in a pantry.[1]
The dish was once also known as vermicelli alla Borbonica[2] or also as vermicelli con le vongole fujute, when in the white version.[3]
The dish is made by first lightly sautéing thinly sliced garlic in extra virgin olive oil, sometimes with the addition of red pepper flakes (dried chili—in which case its name is Italian: spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino). The oil and garlic are then tossed with spaghetti cooked in salted water. Finely chopped Italian parsley is then commonly added as a garnish.
Although cheese is not included in most traditional recipes, grated Parmesan or pecorino can be added, similarly to pasta allo scarpariello. Some recipes recommend adding some of the water from cooking pasta to the olive oil to create a sauce, but other recipes recommend simply pouring the oil onto the drained pasta.[4]