By Devi Poojari
November 13, 2025
A cafe-style pasta recipe—the aglio olio is one of the simplest sauces to recreate at home using a handful of basic ingredients and assemble a meal within a matter of minutes. Pair the pasta along with a salad on the side or a slice of garlic bread, to elevate the meal from basic to fancy.
200 grams spaghetti 4-5 garlic cloves, minced 2 teaspoons red chilli flakes 1 tablespoon chopped parsley 3 tablespoons olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil before adding in the spaghetti to cook for 8-10 minutes while heating the olive oil in a separate pan.
Add the minced garlic and red chilli flakes to cook over a low heat for 2-3 minutes and adding in some of the pasta water to it.
Bring the garlic-chilli oil mixture to a simmer and season with salt and pepper, before straining the spaghetti and tossing it in the oil and pasta water.
Continue to stir gently, ensuring that the spaghetti does not break while finishing in the sauce, until the water evaporates and the strands are glossy with the flavoured oil.
Turn off the heat and plate the pasta, sprinkling a generous amount of parsley on top. Serve hot.