Aglio e Olio (Garlic & Olive Oil Spaghetti)

Ingredients

• 7 clovesgarlic, thinly sliced into rounds⚠ Slice (don't finely chop) for a sweeter, gentler garlic flavor.
• ~1 cupfresh flat-leaf parsley⚠ Finely chopped down to about ½ cup.
• 1 lbspaghetti
• ⅓ cupextra virgin olive oil⚠ Can go up to ½ cup if you like it richer.
• 1 tsp – 1 Tbspdried chili flake⚠ Added at the end so it only lightly toasts.
• ~2 Tbspreserved pasta water
• —salt⚠ Generous in the pasta water, plus more to taste at the end — amount not stated.
• —flaky salt + Parmesan, to finish⚠ Optional. Amount not stated.

Steps

1. Slice 7 garlic cloves into thin rounds (no thicker than about ½ inch). Slicing — not finely chopping — keeps the garlic sweet and delicate. Set aside. ⏱ 0:56 watch
2. Finely chop about 1 cup of fresh flat-leaf parsley until very fine (you'll get roughly ½ cup). Set aside. ⏱ 1:31 watch
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Add 1 lb spaghetti and cook to al dente per the package — about 8 minutes. ⏱ 2:28 watch
4. When 4 minutes remain on the pasta, heat ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil in a pan over medium heat. ⏱ 3:10 watch
5. Add the sliced garlic and a touch of salt. Gently sweat / poach it in the oil (don't fry it). Lower to medium-low and keep it moving until fragrant, then turn the heat off, add a touch more salt, and swirl. ⏱ 3:24 watch
6. With the heat off but the oil still hot, add 1 tsp up to 1 Tbsp dried chili flake to toast it very lightly (it burns fast). ⏱ 4:30 watch
7. Taste a strand of pasta; when al dente, lift it straight into the oil with tongs (a little pasta water clinging is good). Season with a touch of salt and toss to coat. ⏱ 4:47 watch
8. Add a couple tablespoons of pasta water and all of the parsley. Fold and toss until it emulsifies and clings to the noodles (no oil pooling in the pan). Taste and add salt now if it needs it. ⏱ 5:00 watch
9. Twirl a generous portion into a bowl. Top with a little flaky salt and Parmesan if you like, and serve. ⏱ 5:20 watch