Name: Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 12 ounces spaghetti; ½ to 1 cup pasta water; ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 4 garlic cloves (thinly sliced); ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 large bunch lacinato kale (stemmed and chopped); ½ teaspoon sea salt; Freshly ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice; 1 teaspoon lemon zest; ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley; Parmesan or Vegan Parmesan (for serving)

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

This pasta aglio e olio recipe is the ultimate weeknight meal! It comes together in 20 minutes, it uses simple ingredients, and it's absolutely delicious.

20 min total 5 min prep 15 min cook 4

Instructions

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1 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the pasta according to the package instructions, cooking until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.
2 Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the garlic is lightly browned around the edges. Add the kale, salt, and several grinds of pepper and cook, tossing with tongs, until the kale is wilted, up to 1 minute.
3 Add the spaghetti and toss to combine. Add ½ cup pasta water and the lemon juice and zest and toss. If the pasta is seeming too dry, add the remaining ½ cup pasta water to create a light sauce.
4 Season to taste. Garnish with parsley and serve with Parmesan or vegan Parmesan.