Vegetarian Recipes

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

When I’m in the throes of a busy week and don’t have time to whip up something extravagant for dinner, this Spaghetti Aglio e Olio is a classic I’m always happy to revisit! The ingredients are already crazy simple, but if you really want to simplify it even further, you can create some serious alchemy with just spaghetti, olive oil, and garlic.

Overhead view of Spaghetti Algio e Olio on a plate with a fork.

This classic Italian pasta dish is traditionally made with spaghetti, garlic, olive oil, and some pasta water to create a glossy, flavorful sauce. That’s it! No cream, no heavy sauces. It quite literally means “spaghetti with garlic and oil” in Italian. My version keeps all that simplicity but adds a few extra layers of flavor to make it even more irresistible. However, you can skip these if you’d like and stick to the OG version. It’s still equally as delicious.

True story: One of my private clients requested spaghetti aglio e olio for almost every dinner. So, needless to say, I can whip it up with my eyes closed (not recommended) in no time. I think this garlicky, rich spaghetti is the dish I’ve made the most as a professional chef, which is funny because it’s so freakin’ simple!

Overhead view of Spaghetti Algio e Olio in a saucepan.

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio Recipe

This Spaghetti Aglio e Olio recipe is garlicky, flavorful, and made using simple pantry staples. Perfect for busy weeknights with minimal effort!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Total Cost ($5.35 recipe / $0.66 serving)

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 367kcal

Author Jess Rice

Equipment

Large Pot
Large Saucepan

Ingredients

1 lb spaghetti $0.98
1 tsp salt, divided $0.05
1 bulb garlic (about 20 cloves), peeled and sliced thin $0.70
¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper $0.05
½ tsp cracked red pepper $0.06
½ cup olive oil $1.55
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated $1.80
1 Tbsp minced Italian parsley $0.08
2 Tbsp lemon juice $0.08
¼ cup pasta water (reserved from cooking the spaghetti) $0.00

Instructions

Gather ingredients and set a large pot of water to boil, adding ½ tsp salt to the water.
Once pasta has been cooked until al dente, about 10 minutes, strain the pasta, reserving ¼ cup of pasta water.
In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, sauté sliced garlic with black pepper, ½ tsp salt, and red pepper flakes in olive oil. Sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Pour strained cooked pasta into the large saucepan with the sautéed garlic and oil.
Toss thoroughly so every piece of spaghetti is coated in garlicky oil. Then, add grated parmesan cheese, parsley, lemon juice, and 2 Tbsp of pasta water. Toss to combine so the cheese melts into the sauce and covers all of the pasta. Add a little more starchy pasta water, only if needed to achieve a looser texture if desired.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

I know Parmesan Cheese isn’t a traditional ingredient, but the salty, umami flavor of parmesan complements the garlic and olive oil beautifully. I only add enough to lightly coat the pasta, not so much that it becomes a cheesy spaghetti dish like Cacio e Pepe.
I use a whole head of garlic, about 20 cloves, to make 8 servings of spaghetti aglio e olio. It may seem like a lot, but trust me, it’s what gives the dish its bold and irresistible flavor! The trick is to slice the garlic thinly so it infuses into the oil and doesn’t burn.
Some classic recipes add fresh chili peppers to create ‘spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino’ (spaghetti with garlic, oil, and chili pepper). I prefer to use cracked red pepper flakes as they’re cheaper, and I can better control the level of heat.

Nutrition

how to make Spaghetti Aglio e Olio—step by step photos

The ingredients for Spaghetti Algio e Olio on a wooden cutting board.

Gather all of your ingredients and bring a large pot of water to a boil, seasoning it with ½ tsp of salt.

Cook 1 lb spaghetti until al dente (about 10 minutes). Strain the pasta and reserve ¼ cup of pasta water.

Sliced garlic, black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes in a saucepan with olive oil.

Over medium-low heat, sauté 1 bulb of sliced garlic (about 20 cloves) with ¼ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp red pepper flakes with ½ cup olive oil in a large saucepan until fragrant (about 2 minutes). Be careful not to burn the garlic!

Sliced garlic and red pepper flakes cooked in olive oil in a saucepan.

After 2 minutes, your garlic should be fragrant and ready to toss with the spaghetti.

Pour your strained spaghetti into the saucepan with the sautéed garlic and oil. Toss the spaghetti well until every piece is coated in the garlic oil.

Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley added to spaghetti in a saucepan.

Add ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 Tbsp minced Italian parsley, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, and 2 Tbsp of your reserved pasta water.

Finished Spaghetti Algio e Olio in a saucepan.

Toss to combine so the cheese melts into the sauce and covers all the spaghetti. If desired, you can add a little more reserved pasta water to achieve a looser texture. Serve and enjoy!

Overhead view of Spaghetti Algio e Olio on a plate.

Garlic is one of the cheapest ways to add big flavor, and it’s the star ingredient in this simple spaghetti aglio e olio recipe. To help you out, here are some of my tried and true tips for cooking with garlic:

How you prep it matters! I slice my garlic thinly because it cooks quickly and evenly in the olive oil, creating a rich garlic-infused flavor. If you mince it, it will likely burn and become bitter because the pieces are smaller.
Avoid bitter garlic by cooking it over low heat. I cook the garlic in this recipe for about 2 minutes over medium-low, until fragrant. Cooking it for too long or over too high heat can make it burn and become bitter.
If your garlic went too far and turned bitter, don’t toss the whole dish just yet. Try adding something sweet (a pinch of sugar or honey), something acidic (lemon juice or vinegar), or something salty (Parmesan or soy sauce) to offset the bitterness. As this recipe uses both lemon juice and Parmesan cheese, you might not have to make any adjustments at all!
Did you know garlic can turn blue when cooked with acidic ingredients like lemon juice or vinegar? This happens due to a chemical reaction and is completely harmless. It is more likely to happen to older garlic or garlic stored in colder temperatures. So don’t worry if your dish turns a little colorful; it’s still safe to eat! (However, if your garlic had spots of blue/green before cooking, it may be a sign of spoilage and should be discarded).

Serving Suggestions

When serving spaghetti aglio e olio, I like to keep the sides simple and fresh. My Greek salad recipe is currently on rotation in my house, and it goes perfectly with this pasta dish. I also like a simple sautéed veggie that I can throw together while the spaghetti cooks. Sautéed green beans, broccoli, or Brussels sprouts are all great options.

Storage & Reheating

This spaghetti aglio e olio recipe is definitely best served fresh. The spaghetti can become dry and a bit clumpy when reheated. But if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, add a splash of water to the spaghetti and microwave or heat in a pan (with a little oil) over medium-low heat until warmed through.

Side view of Spaghetti Algio e Olio in a saucepan.

Overhead view of chicken spaghetti in a white casserole dish with a wooden spoon placed inside.

Chicken Spaghetti RECIPE

$13.36 recipe / $2.23 serving

Overhead view of a plate of spaghetti carbonara with a fork.

Easy Spaghetti Carbonara

$4.48 recipe / $0.74 serving

Baked Spaghetti

$8.95 recipe / $1.49 serving

Spaghetti with Hidden Vegetable Pasta Sauce

$6.21 recipe / $1.55 serving

The post Spaghetti Aglio e Olio appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Vegetarian Recipes

How to Make Crispy Hash Browns

Potatoes are THE budget-friendly kitchen staple. They’re cheap and can be used in about a bazillion different ways. When I was asked for a tutorial on How to Make Crispy Hash Browns almost 9(!) years ago, I jumped on it. And all these years later, I still use this same method to get perfectly golden, crispy hash browns every time. I love making an indulgent breakfast on the weekends, and this recipe makes the perfect base for what I like to call my ultimate hash browns. Scroll to the bottom of the post to see what I topped them with to take them to the next level. 😉

Overhead view of hashbrowns in a skillet.

“Just made these with frozen hashbrowns. My husband took one bite and asked “Wow, what’s the secret to making them crispy?” I replied with “Beth.” 😂”

Erin

Easy Recipe for Crispy Hash Browns

Just like any breakfast potatoes, I’m sure everyone makes their hash browns differently. BUT, there are three things that I’ve found to be key to making really great golden brown hash browns: rinsing the starch off the potatoes, drying the potatoes well, and using an adequate amount of oil. Yes, that’s right, OIL! If you don’t use enough oil, the potatoes will dry and tend to go from white to burnt. Use enough, and you’ll get crispy yet moist potatoes with a beautiful spectrum of golden brown color.

This recipe only uses 3 simple ingredients (potatoes, oil, and seasoning salt), so each ingredient really matters! That’s why I like to keep things simple and focus on technique. And I’m happy to say this easy recipe has never failed me yet. 😁

Side view close up of crispy hashbrowns cooking in a skillet.

Crispy Hash Browns Recipe

In just a few simple steps, you can learn How to Make Crispy Hash Browns at home. Follow my tricks to make them perfectly crisp and delicious!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Total Cost $1.97 recipe / $0.49 serving

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings (1 cup each)

Calories 303kcal

Author Beth Moncel

Ingredients

2 large russet potatoes (about 2 lbs.)* $1.76
4 Tbsp cooking oil, or as needed** $0.16
Seasoning salt to taste $0.05

Instructions

Peel the potatoes, if desired. Use a large-holed cheese grater or food processor to shred the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a colander and rinse well, or until the water runs clear. Let the potatoes drain.
Squeeze the potatoes of their excess water by pressing against the side of the colander or squeezing in your fist. Or, place the potatoes in a clean, lint-free dish towel, roll them up, then press to remove excess moisture.
Heat a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat***. Once hot, add a tablespoon of cooking oil. Tilt the skillet to spread the oil over the surface. Add about 1/3 of the shredded potatoes or enough to cover the surface of the skillet in a solid, yet thin layer (1/2 inch thick or so). Let the potatoes fry, without disturbing, until deeply golden brown on the bottom (3-5 minutes). Season lightly with seasoning salt.
Flip the potatoes, and drizzle with additional oil if needed. Let the potatoes cook on the second side without disturbing until golden brown and crispy again. Season lightly on the second side.
If needed, flip and cook one more time to achieve the ratio of brown to white that you like. Repeat the process until all of the potatoes are cooked. Serve hot.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*I use Russet potatoes because they crisp up great in the skillet due to their texture and composition. You can certainly try another type of potato, but just keep in mind waxier varieties might not crisp up the same.

**You must use an oil with a high smoke point, like canola, corn, peanut, or sunflower oil. Butter obviously gives amazing flavor, but the butter solids tend to burn, so you’ll want to use clarified butter or ghee instead. I didn’t have the patience to clarify any butter, so I just used canola oil.

***I always use my 10″ cast iron skillet because it offers non-stick protection while giving really even heat and a nice surface for crisping. While stainless steel is also great for crisping, starchy foods (like potatoes) tend to stick a lot more on stainless, so it can be tricky. If you’re not well practiced with keeping food from sticking on stainless steel, I’d suggest either cast iron or a non-stick skillet.

Nutrition

How to Make Hash Browns step-by-step photos

Clean the potatoes: Start with two russet potatoes (about 2 lbs). You can either scrub them clean and leave the skin on or peel them. Gather the other ingredients.

Shred the potatoes: Use a large-holed cheese grater or a food processor to shred the potatoes. I found that the potatoes shredded fairly easily with the cheese grater, so it wasn’t worth cleaning out the food processor.

Rinse the shredded potatoes: Place the shredded potatoes in a colander and rinse them really, really, really well. The water running from the colander should be clear. Then, let them drain.

Dry the shredded potatoes: Making sure the potatoes are as dry as possible is my secret to keeping them crispy. If they have too much water on them, that water will turn to steam while they cook, which basically steams the potatoes and makes them soft. So, you can either let them drain a long time in the colander, squeeze them dry with your hands, or roll them up in a clean, lint-free towel and press them dry. I chose the towel method.

A hand holding a pot of tony chachere creole seasoning.

Make the hash browns: Heat a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add about a tablespoon of oil. Spread the oil over the surface of the skillet, then add about 1/3 of the shredded potatoes or enough to cover the bottom of the skillet in a solid but thin layer (only about 1/2 inch thick). You’re shooting for maximum surface contact here, so if they’re packed in there too thick, some won’t touch the skillet…and they’ll generate steam again and make everything mushy.

While the potatoes are cooking, sprinkle on a little seasoning salt. This is the kind I use, but you can use whatever brand you like. I love the little bit of extra flavor and kick that seasoning salt adds to the crispy hash browns compared to just plain salt and pepper.

Hashbrowns cooking in a cast iron skillet.

Now, the key here is to not touch them long enough for them to get really nice and brown and crispy. If you mess around with them, stirring or flipping too often, they won’t form a nice crust, and the long strands will kind of break down. So, LEAVE THEM BE. 😊 Then, once they’re very golden, flip them. You might need to drizzle on a little more oil at this point to help the second side crisp up.

Then, LET THE SECOND SIDE BE until it’s also golden and crispy. Now, depending on how many potatoes you have in the skillet, you may want to flip and cook one last time to get most of the potatoes crispy, but that’s up to you. Some people like a 50/50 ratio of crispy to soft, some people like almost all crispy. Repeat the process a couple more times or until you’ve cooked all the potatoes.

Overhead view of homemade hash browns on a plate, topped with a fried egg, sour cream, avocado, diced tomato, and sliced jalapeño,

These crispy hash browns are great on their own and all, but why not make them ULTIMATE by adding lots of yummy toppings? I did a fried egg, some avocado slices, diced tomato, sliced jalapeño, green onion, and a dollop of sour cream. Waffle House ain’t got nuthin’ on my hash browns.

Serving Suggestions

On those days when I don’t want to add any toppings, I like to serve these homemade hash browns with something equally delicious to make it a complete breakfast! I love piling them up alongside candied bacon for the perfect sweet-and-savory combo. Air fryer hard-boiled eggs are also great because they’re hands-off and cook themselves while I tend to the potatoes! But if I’m feeding a crowd, I’d go for something like a frittata or sheet pan pancakes since they’re both easy to make and can serve a lot of people at once.

Storage & Reheating

Let your leftovers cool and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them in a skillet with a little oil or in the air fryer to crisp them back up again!