Illustration, not a photo of this dishSpicy Olive Oil Lemon Pasta
Spaghetti tossed in garlicky olive oil with lemon, chili and Parmigiano. Starchy pasta water turns it into a silky sauce without any butter.
Chef's note Use your good olive oil for the second half, off the heat, where you can taste it.
Chef's note Use your good olive oil for the second half, off the heat, where you can taste it. And the pasta water is the sauce, so don't pour it all down the sink.
Ingredients
- 4 qt water
- 1 tbsp kosher salt for the pasta water
- 12 oz spaghetti
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes use less for mild
- 1 lemon zested, then juiced
- 1 cup pasta water scooped out before draining
- 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano finely grated, about 2 oz
- ½ tsp black pepper freshly ground
- ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley chopped
About 550 calories a serving
- Calories
- 550
- Protein
- 21 g
- Carbs
- 69 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 1,160 mg
An estimate from each ingredient's USDA values (USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 2018-04), not a lab measurement.
Steps
Bring 4 qt water to a rolling boil in a large pot and add 1 tbsp kosher salt. Add 12 oz spaghetti and cook, stirring now and then, until 1 minute short of the package time. It will finish cooking in the pan.
While the pasta cooks, put 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and 4 cloves garlic in a large cold skillet and set it over medium-low heat. Cook slowly, swirling the pan, until the garlic is pale gold, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in 1 tsp red pepper flakes for the last 30 seconds, then take it off the heat. Garlic turns bitter if it browns.
Scoop out 1 cup pasta water. Lift the spaghetti straight into the skillet with tongs and add ½ cup pasta water.
Set the skillet over medium heat and toss constantly for 1 to 2 minutes, until the water has mostly cooked down into the pasta and the strands look glossy.
Take the pan off the heat. Add the 1 lemon zest and juice, the rest of the oil (2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil), 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano and ½ tsp black pepper. Toss hard, adding splashes of the remaining pasta water, until the cheese melts into a creamy sauce that coats the spaghetti. If it clumps, add more water.
Toss in ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, taste for salt, and serve right away in warm bowls.
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