The simplest recipes are often the favourites, the ones with the most views on this website are croque monsieur (a.k.a. toasted ham & cheese sandwich) and affogato (ice cream ‘drowned’ in coffee and liqueur), hardly recipes at all. Spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino is another of my super simple favourites for those nights when you need something tasty but really don’t feel like cooking. Spaghetti tossed with garlic (aglio), olive oil (olio) and chilli (peperoncino) – it sounds too simple but it’s so delicious! And to drink? I love the delicious clarete from Alegre y Valgañon – an almost lost Spanish wine style made by macerating white and red grape juice on red skins for a few days to produce a slightly textural, dry, pale pink wine. See the video below for all you need to know to cook pasta perfectly every time.

Serves 4

Ingredients
  • 500g spaghetti
  • ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
  • Salt flakes, to taste
  • ½ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving
Method
  1. Boil spaghetti in a large saucepan of salted water according to packet directions.
  2. Meanwhile, place oil, garlic, chilli flakes and a good pinch of salt in a large, high-sided frying pan over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until garlic is translucent. Remove from heat, cover and set aside until spaghetti is cooked.
  3. Return frying pan to heat. Using tongs, lift spaghetti out of the boiling water into the pan, add about ½ cup of the cooking water and toss well to combine.
  4. Add parsley and toss again.
  5. Serve in flat bowls sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

Share page on:

How To Cook Pasta Like A Nonna

Join Me Soon

What Other Cooks Say

Melisa (Beacon Hill, NSW)
Melisa (Beacon Hill, NSW)
Read More
We made the pot-sticker dumplings and bang bang chicken from the Chinese class the other night. Once again both exceeded our expectations. My husband keeps saying it’s better than going out to restaurants as the recipes and quality are amazing.
Glennis (Caringbah South, NSW)
Glennis (Caringbah South, NSW)
Read More
The whole Be Inspired experience has helped me love cooking again. I was sick of cooking the same old things - meal time is a lot brighter thanks to you Roberta.
Pam (Cammeray, NSW)
Pam (Cammeray, NSW)
Read More
Your recipes are something I always feel confident offering guests and also reasonable in the time to prepare. We often try your recommended wines and suppliers and enjoy your travel tales too!
Jen (Tamarama, NSW)
Jen (Tamarama, NSW)
Read More
Thank you for stocking our pantry with such authentic Ingredients and quality produce. We really like the flexibility of cooking over a couple of days and changing the order we cook the dishes in when we want to. And I love listening to the themed playlist while cooking.
Katrina (Arncliffe, NSW)
Katrina (Arncliffe, NSW)
Read More
I am absolutely loving Be Inspired! There are ingredients I have never worked with before so having the confidence to try something new is so much fun! The recipes are just amazing and the notes on what can be prep’d beforehand are a great help too. Thank you so much.
Deb (Belconnen, ACT)
Deb (Belconnen, ACT)
Read More
Awesome fun traveling through Emilia-Romagna experiencing first hand some of the produce I've worked with over the last couple of years cooking with Roberta's classes – the family are reaping the benefits now.
Judith (Woronora, NSW)
Judith (Woronora, NSW)
Read More
Food, wine and travel! Three of my favourite things! Be Inspired with Roberta has been a wonderful experience and given me more confidence in the kitchen. I have learnt so much, cooked things I never would have attempted without Roberta’s excellent videos, and used ingredients I have never tried before.
Sandra (Garran, ACT)
Sandra (Garran, ACT)
Read More
I'm a competent cook whose learned so much from Roberta's online cooking classes. The recipes are yummy and Roberta’s video guidance offers so many little tips to improve flavour and organise the flow of preparation. I enjoy her warmth, sense of humour, and ability to giggle at herself when she occasionally messes up.
Previous
Next

FAQ

What does aglio, olio e peperoncino mean?

Aglio, olio e peperoncino literally means ‘garlic, oil and chilli’. It’s one of Italy’s most basic, classic pasta sauces.

Where does pasta aglio, olio e peperoncino come from?

This simple pasta dish is from the southern Italian regions of Campania and Calabria, where dried chilli flakes are often added to dishes instead of pepper.

What's the best pasta for aglio, olio e peperoncino?

Spaghetti is typically used for this dish, but any long thin dried pasta, such as linguine, bucatini or bavette, works well.

Subscribe To My Newsletter & Get A Free Online Italian Cooking Class (RRP $39)