Do you ever have one of those exhausting days where you don’t have an ounce of energy to cook, but you desperately want something comforting and delicious to devour? Those are the days when I usually turn to my favourite spaghetti with garlic oil and chili flakes. But lets be real, lately I’m exhausted everyday – some days physically, and other days emotionally, so I’ve been eating more spaghetti than I care to admit.
The beauty about this spaghetti with garlic oil and chili flakes is that it’s actually pretty healthy, especially if you choose whole wheat spaghetti (which I do not, because I’m basically a child and can’t give up refined carbs). You absolutely cannot go wrong with this recipe, and honestly you can tweak however you want – add onions, or bacon, toss in some sambal olek paste or thai chili sauce, go ahead and make it your own. My only word of advice, if you make it exactly the way I do, use some really good flavourful garlic. I tend to go for the purplish bulbs that smell really pungent, they are definitely more expensive than the other garlic at the grocery store, but a little goes a long way!
This is one of my only recipes that is portioned for two, because I honestly I usually make two portions and eat them myself – I told you, refined carbs are my bae. But honestly, my kids prefer their spaghetti with marinara or makhani sauce, so I usually make a smaller portion, but you can definitely double or triple this recipe easily, it is so forgiving.
If you are batching up, I always find this pasta serving size guide from Barila helpful!
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Spaghetti with Garlic and Red Chili Flakes (My Favourite Pantry Pasta)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Description
A simple supper made with pantry staples – olive oil, spaghetti, chili flakes, and garlic, that’s hit! This meal always hits the spot at the end of a long day.
Ingredients
200 grams dried spaghetti
2-3 tbs table salt (for salting pasta water)
3 tbs olive oil
3–4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp dried chili flakes (or to taste)
1/8 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
1-2 tablespoons reserved pasta water.
1/4 cup washed and chopped parsley
Instructions
1. Add table salt to 4 litres of water in a large pot, bring to a boil. Add the spaghetti and boil until the pasta is al dente (that is about 2 minutes before it’s fully cooked). Reserve 2 tbs of pasta water.
2. Heat the olive oil in a separate pan on medium heat, and add the sliced garlic and chili flakes. Keep the heat on medium/high, and remove the garlic chips as soon as they start to brown on the edges. This should only take about 1 1/2 – 2 minutes. Remember, if you leave the garlic in for too long it will turn bitter and burn.
3. Toss the spaghetti in the olive oil and coat. Sprinkle with sea salt. You can also add a tablespoon or so of reserved pasta water here to help things come together and get a little creamy.
4. Add garlic chips and chopped parsley and toss everything together.
Notes
I also love to top this pasta with a little Parmesan cheese if I have some in the fridge!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
Keywords: spaghetti with garlic and chili flakes
