Name: Double Garlic Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 1b spaghetti (I used whole wheat); 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil; 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced; 1 tbsp minced garlic; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional); 1/4 cup minced parsley (optional)

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Double Garlic Spaghetti Aglio e Olio – Double up on the garlic to put a twist on the classic dish! You can never go wrong with more garlic.

What is spaghetti aglio e olio?

Spaghetti aglio e olio is the Italian term for spaghetti with garlic and oil. It is typically made by sautéing sliced or minced garlic in olive oil and mixing it with cooked spaghetti, with the optional addition of dried red pepper flakes, parsley and parmesan cheese.

For this recipe, we will use both sliced and minced garlic and omit the parmesan to create a double garlic spaghetti aglio e olio.

What do you need to make this double garlic aglio e olio?

For this recipe, you only need the following 3 main ingredients:

Spaghetti pasta of your choice (I used whole wheat)
Extra virgin olive oil
Fresh garlic

There are also optional additional ingredients I have used, such as crushed red pepper flakes and fresh parsley.

You will also need the following equipment:

A large pan (big enough to boil and cook the pasta)

How do you make double garlic spaghetti aglio e olio?

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions (8-12 mins) in the pan.
Set aside the cooked spaghetti in a large bowl. Rubbing in some olive oil to the spaghetti will help to prevent the spaghetti from clumping. Save a cup of pasta water and set aside.
Prepare the olive oil, minced garlic, sliced garlic, salt and red pepper flakes (optional).
Mix the above ingredients together in a small dish. You can actually do steps 3-4 before you cook the pasta if you would like to infuse the olive oil with garlic for longer.
In the same pan, add the garlic and oil mixture from part 4 and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes until garlic slices are crispy.
The oil should be bubbling and the garlic slices should be slightly brown around the edges.
(Optional) chop up the fresh parsley (about 2 tbsp).
Add the cooked spaghetti (and the parsley) into the pan with oil and stir until the spaghetti strands are coated evenly in oil. If there is still clumping, add little of the pasta water at a time to help break up the strands. Cook for 2-3 minutes on medium heat until the spaghetti is warm. Serves 4-6.

Tips and tricks for the best double garlic spaghetti aglio e olio

Salt the pasta water. Most of the salt added to the garlic oil infusion goes into salting the garlic. So this step is important for seasoning the pasta.
Save the pasta water. Saving some of the pasta water is important for de-clumping the cooked spaghetti after putting it in the pan. Often the cooked pasta will clump up after it is set aside (while you cook the garlic). You can solve this problem by slowly adding small amounts of the pasta water into the cooked spaghetti while you try to toss it in the garlic olive oil.
Add more garlic. I added more than usual amounts of garlic in this recipe by adding a tablespoon of minced garlic. If you like garlic a lot, you could even add more of the sliced or minced garlic to this recipe. I would recommend 2-4 cloves of sliced garlic and 1-2 tbsp of minced garlic more than what this recipe calls for.
Use additional ingredients. I used crushed red pepper flakes and fresh parsley for this dish, but these are not necessary to make a delicious garlic oil pasta! They do make the dish look more appetizing though.

This double garlic spaghetti aglio e olio is...

Made with just 3 main ingredients!
Ready to eat under 25 minutes!
Super garlicky and carb-y comfort meal
Surprisingly delicious when cold!

Frequently asked questions:

Can I make it gluten-free? Of course, just use gluten-free pasta. I used whole wheat spaghetti for this recipe even though typically regular spaghetti is used for aglio e olio. Even though the noodles were more brittle, it still tasted really good.
How long does this keep? This dish will keep up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge. It is surprisingly delicious when cold, but simply microwave it for a few minutes if you're having it for leftovers.
What can I serve it with? This is a main dish, but if you want more garlic goodness, consider serving this with a side of my garlic bread toast sticks!

If your question isn't answered here, be sure to check out the comments section below. You might find the answer to your question down there. Otherwise, please leave a comment on this post so I can get back to you ASAP!

As always, thanks for reading!

Best,