It's time for an at-home date night and it's going to be a good one! Spaghetti aglio e olio is a simple, comforting pasta dish made with roasted garlic (aglio), olive oil (olio), fresh parsley and some crushed red peppers. It's ultra easy to make and yet incredibly gourmet. Use your favorite gluten-free pasta for a meal with no allergens and all the flavor!
If you're planning an at-home date night, you don't have to order in to get a restaurant-quality meal! Set a tablecloth down, light a couple candles and get out the nice dishes, because we're making spaghetti aglio e olio right in your kitchen.
This flavorful pasta dish is filled with roasted garlic, olive oil, fresh parsley and crushed red pepper. Simple yet elegant, this recipe is proof that you don't need fancy ingredients to create a romantic dinner.
I have many other dishes worthy of at-home date nights in my vegan pasta recipe collection, but this one is typically my go-to for New Years Eve or Valentine's Day. For more seasonal recipes in the spring and summer, you definitely need to try this vegan lemon spinach pasta and vegan parsley pea pesto pasta!
What is Spaghetti Aglio e Olio?
Spaghetti aglio e olio is a classic Italian dish that is essentially a vegan garlic pasta with olive oil. It absolutely comes ALIVE with the addition of the spices and fresh herbs. I also love adding in caramelized onions!
With a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes for some heat (I'll leave these out or just do a tiny bit if my kids are going to be eating with us!), it's absolutely divine. Adding the starchy pasta water makes the sauce extra creamy. The slight spiciness of the pepper flakes is a great compliment to this creamy, filling pasta dish!
Ingredients
This recipe uses the following simple ingredients:
- Fresh garlic: I like to roast two whole garlic heads for some sweetness (using either the oven or the air fryer) but you can also mince garlic from about 5 garlic cloves instead.
- Long pasta noodles: Capellini, spaghetti, fettuccini or linguine are all good options. I personally love Jovial brand for gluten-free pasta.
- Reserved pasta water
- Extra-virgin olive oil: Use a high quality olive oil as this recipe uses a good deal of it and it is an important flavor in this dish!
- Red pepper flakes
- Salt & black pepper
- Fresh Italian parsley
- Vegan parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)
See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full recipe and quantities.
How to Make Olive Oil and Garlic Pasta
1. Prepare the pasta: Fill a 5.5 dutch oven with 10 cups of water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the pasta and set a timer for the instructed cooking time on the box (start the next step while the pasta cooks). Once the noodles are done cooking, reserve ¼ cup of the starchy pasta water before draining. Drain the remaining cooking water and place the cooked noodles back in the dry pot. Toss with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to prevent sticking.
2. Prepare the garlic and olive oil sauce: Heat a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium heat. Add the olive oil, roasted garlic cloves (or minced garlic), red pepper chili flakes, salt and pepper and sauté for 5 minutes.
3. Bring it all together. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss well. Add ¼ cup reserved pasta water and toss well over medium heat. Sauté for another 5 minutes. Add the chopped parsley (and spinach if using) during the last minute of cooking. Taste and adjust flavors as needed.
4. Serve! Enjoy immediately. It pairs wonderfully with crusty bread! Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Recipe Tips
Add caramelized onions. It takes about an hour to caramelize onions but they are totally worth it! The dish is delicious as in no way are the onions required, but they add a sweet crunch and a beautiful golden brown color.
Don't skip sautéing the cooked pasta at the end. This step is crucial! All of the flavors infuse together further when the drained pasta and reserved pasta water are added and sautéed together.
Serving Suggestions
For a complete restaurant-quality meal at home, I'd suggest pairing this garlic parsley pasta with a kale caesar salad and a side dish of quick and easy asparagus.
Add a sparkling cherry spritzer to drink (you can make this with or without alcohol!) and some dark chocolate avocado truffles to sample for dessert. You'll feel like royalty... Bon Appétit!
More Romantic Pasta Recipes
There is nothing quite like making a gourmet simple recipe using fresh ingredients! Try these as well:
- 5-Ingredient Creamy Pink Beet Pasta Sauce
- Easy One-Pot Creamy Tomato Pasta
- Caramelized Onion Apple Pasta with Sage
See more romantic dishes and desserts in this list of Valentine's Day recipes!
This garlic and olive oil pasta is a fresh, comforting and flavorful dinner recipe… all while being vegan (no meat, eggs, or dairy!), gluten-free, refined sugar-free and soy-free. It’s a super nutritious dish that everyone can enjoy!
This vegan aglio e olio recipe was inspired by a NY Times recipe for midnight pasta with roasted garlic, olive oil and chile. I love finding ways to make recipes that look SO good work for vegans and people with allergies. What recipe would you love to see made vegan and/or allergy-friendly? Comment below and let me know or find me on Instagram!
20-Minute Garlic and Olive Oil Pasta (Vegan)
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
It's time for an at-home date night and it's going to be a good one! Spaghetti aglio e olio is a simple, comforting pasta dish made with roasted garlic (aglio), olive oil (olio), fresh parsley and some crushed red peppers. It's ultra easy to make and yet incredibly gourmet. Use your favorite gluten-free pasta for a meal with no allergens and all the flavor!
Ingredients
- 5 cloves garlic, minced OR 2 large heads garlic, roasted*
- 12 ounces capellini, spaghetti, fettuccini or linguini pasta noodles (any long pasta noodle - gluten-free if desired)
- ½ tablespoon salt for pasta water
- ¼ cup reserved pasta water
- ½ cup good-quality olive oil
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (plus more for garnish)**
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup firmly packed fresh Italian flat leaf parsley leaves (plus more for garnish)
Garnishes:
- fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
- vegan parmesan cheese, grated***
- red pepper chili flakes
- freshly ground black pepper
Serve with:
- Caramelized Onions, chopped (highly recommend this!)
- Restaurant-Style Sautéed Mushrooms
- Baby spinach (add with parsley if using)
- broccoli, roasted or steamed
- white beans (one 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed)
Instructions
- If using roasted garlic, roast two heads of garlic ahead of time (air fryer method or oven method).
- Fill a 5.5 dutch oven or pot with 10 cups of water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add ½ tablespoon of salt to the water. Add the pasta and set a timer for the instructed cooking time on the box (proceed to next step while the pasta cooks). Once the noodles are done cooking, reserve ¼ cup of the starchy pasta water before draining. Drain the remaining pasta water and place the cooked noodles back in the dry pot. Toss with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Heat a 12-inch large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add oil, minced fresh garlic OR roasted garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and sauté. Add caramelized onions if using (highly recommended). Use a wooden spoon to break up the roasted garlic cloves. They will diffuse and sort of melt into the oil as they cook. Sauté until fragrant to infuse the oil with flavor (about 5 minutes - longer is fine over low heat but just be sure to stir often to prevent burning). Add any cooked veggies or white beans, if using.
- Add cooked pasta and toss well. Add ¼ cup reserved pasta water and toss well over medium heat. Sauté for another 5 minutes. Add the parsley (and spinach if using) during the last minute of cooking. Taste and adjust flavors as needed.
- Serve the pasta hot with desired garnishes (see ingredients above for suggestions).
Notes
*To roast garlic: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the top off an entire head of garlic (about ½-inch so the garlic cloves are all exposed). Wrap the garlic bulb in foil and place in a small ramekin that is oven safe. Drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil (about 2 teaspoons). Sprinkle generously with fine salt. Cover in foil tightly so the garlic is not exposed. Place the ramekin in the oven for one hour. Remove and carefully unwrap the foil to allow the roasted garlic to cool to room temperature. Squeeze the garlic head to release the roasted garlic cloves. Discard the garlic skin. See my full and detailed post on How to Roast Garlic.
** The classic Italian dish calls for chopped fresh red chiles (peperoncini) which can be difficult to find in other countries. I substitute crushed red pepper flakes which I always have in my pantry.
***Here is my quick and easy recipe for vegan “parmesan cheese:" Whisk together ½ cup super fine blanched almond flour (not almond meal), 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder. Done! Sprinkle just like parmesan cheese.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Dina says
Wow! So yum! Add the onions!!!
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much! So happy you enjoyed!