Aglio e Olio -- Tips/Tricks?

Literally every video on YouTube displays piss-poor technique, evidenced by the oil slick on the spaghetti. That's my problem as well -- properly incorporating the oil in the spaghetti so you don't get that oil slick, but without using butter and the like. Im looking for feedback from those who know better than I do...

I use about 1/2 cup of EVOO, 3 garlic cloves, and chilli peppers. I let the oil warm up very slowly, then add the finely sliced (or chopped) garlic and chilli flakes. I cook until it develops just a bit of colour, and then add some of the starchy pasta water to stop the cooking (half a ladle or so). I cook the spaghetti (1/2 box) until it's al-dente, then add it to the saucepan with the oil/pasta water. I turn the heat up to medium, stir it around for about 60 seconds (trying to bring out the starch), yet I still get an oil slick and not a creamy sauce. I add the cheese and parsley afterwards, but it's still too oily for my liking.

What could be causing this? I've tried varying the technique, but the outcome is always the same. I've tried adding the pasta 1 minute before al-dente, but that didn't seem to work. I tried more and less of the pasta water, with the same results. I'm thoroughly stumped because I've made this dish about 20+ times and nailed it only once. ONCE!

I have a crappy coil electric stove, so temperature control is challenging to say the least. Could that be the problem? My standards are quite high because I had an Italian grandmother as a babysitter growing up -- I know what this should taste like.

Aside:
I typically add a bit of goat cheese and toasted walnuts to offset the oily sauce (sacrilege, I know), but this is a workaround and not a solution. In my experience, the thin spaghetti works best with oil-based sauces, but I'm still not quite there. Any tips or tricks? Or is perfecting agilo e olio like finding the perfect knife? :scratchhead:

One of my favorite dishes...my only help is that you need more garlic! I should say that mine comes out a bit different every time, but I like mine better than what I get out...and I add pine nuts.

Daniel Grittier just did a good primer on aglio e olio: http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/02/how-to-make-pasta-spaghetti-aglio-olio.html. I do mine similarly to his, but toss in a clove or two of freshly grated garlic just before serving.

Dissolve first a few anjoivis in the oil , add the garlic and chilli,fried them slowly, then you add the pasta and the water from the pasta pot!!
Starit until the starch come out, if you use fresh past it will work better.
Finish the dish with fresh finally chop parsley.
Aglio, olio e peperoncino cazzo!!

You have to add at the and the water from the pot!
That water it s rich in colidrater that helps the pasta to be creamy

preizzo said:

You have to add at the and the water from the pot!
That water it s rich in colidrater that helps the pasta to be creamy

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+1

preizzo said:

Dissolve first a few anjoivis in the oil , add the garlic and chilli,fried them slowly, then you add the pasta and the water from the pasta pot!!
Starit until the starch come out, if you use fresh past it will work better.
Finish the dish with fresh finally chop parsley.
Aglio, olio e peperoncino cazzo!!

Click to expand...

fresh pasta +1. You could also try adding the starchy water and pasta to a hot/dry pot and add the oil mixture in a slow drizzle while agitating the pasta water mixture if that makes sense....like your making a standard oil emulsion.

chinacats said:

One of my favorite dishes...my only help is that you need more garlic! I should say that mine comes out a bit different every time, but I like mine better than what I get out...and I add pine nuts.

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Like it better than what you get out? Huh?
For the record, walnuts are the poor man's pine nuts.

dmccurtis said:

Daniel Grittier just did a good primer on aglio e olio: http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/02/how-to-make-pasta-spaghetti-aglio-olio.html. I do mine similarly to his, but toss in a clove or two of freshly grated garlic just before serving.

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I'll try the grated garlic sometime, good pointer! But I still can't seem to get the consistency in his pictures. He seems to suggest that the spaghetti will get oily if the water is reduced too much, so perhaps I'm leaving it on the burner too long, or simply not adding enough water? I guess I'll have to experiment a bit more. I love cheap recipes -- don't have to worry too much about screwing it up! Bless Aglio e Olio... and omelettes.

cheflivengood said:

fresh pasta +1. You could also try adding the starchy water and pasta to a hot/dry pot and add the oil mixture in a slow drizzle while agitating the pasta water mixture if that makes sense....like your making a standard oil emulsion.

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Ah, this sounds promising. I'll give it a try, thanks!

I've used fresh pasta with great success, but I don't always have fresh pasta at hand. Again, that's more of a workaround than a solution, but point taken. I've also slowly dissolved anchovies in the oil before adding the garlic, but I honestly prefer it without. I'm probably the only one, tbh.

You could try varying the volume of the water you boil the pasta in. More water means less concentration of the disolved starches. So theoretically less water means more starch in the spoon of water you throw in.

Maybe this is useful: http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/05/how-to-cook-pasta-salt-water-boiling-tips-the-food-lab.html

I too hate it when my pasta with garlic and olive oil is oily.

Besides Cacio e pepe one of my favourite pasta dishes to make. Don't know if it helps that much but after I integrate the pasta and the "sauce" etc. I sprinkle a little mit EVOO over it and flip the whole thing repeatedly instead of stirring. Don't know if it works but I do it anyway.

Hm... now I'm hungry... :viking:

I Think it's more in the pasta
+1 fresh pasta.
I've heard the type of cap/attachment ( for lack of a better word) that forms the pasta is also very important.
A brass attachment is better at creating a rough surface for the pasta to absorb sauce/oil.
A teflon/non stick attachment will create more smooth pasta that will not absorb sauce as easy.

[video=youtube;6xb5EDIOges]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xb5EDIOges[/video]

Jovidah said:

You could try varying the volume of the water you boil the pasta in. More water means less concentration of the disolved starches. So theoretically less water means more starch in the spoon of water you throw in.

Maybe this is useful: http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/05/how-to-cook-pasta-salt-water-boiling-tips-the-food-lab.html

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Eureka! This makes perfect sense and I now I feel like an idiot. I'm 100% guilty of using a massive pot of boiling water for only 1-2 servings of pasta. It's no wonder I could never get the proper consistency -- thank you!!!

Charon said:

I Think it's more in the pasta
+1 fresh pasta.
I've heard the type of cap/attachment ( for lack of a better word) that forms the pasta is also very important.
A brass attachment is better at creating a rough surface for the pasta to absorb sauce/oil.
A teflon/non stick attachment will create more smooth pasta that will not absorb sauce as easy.

Click to expand...

Fresh pasta is easier, but it works just as well with dried (if ya do it right). When it comes to dried pasta, the trick is a slow extraction for a rougher surface (hence why brass is preferred over teflon). I think the problem was too much water relative to pasta, so I'll be experimenting later this week.

Thanks again everyone!

I'll add a shot of vermouth after toasting the garlic the reduce completely. I'll also cook a little extra al dente and warm back up in pot with pasta water. Don't overthink it guys.

jferreir said:

Like it better than what you get out? Huh?
For the record, walnuts are the poor man's pine nuts.



I'll try the grated garlic sometime, good pointer! But I still can't seem to get the consistency in his pictures. He seems to suggest that the spaghetti will get oily if the water is reduced too much, so perhaps I'm leaving it on the burner too long, or simply not adding enough water? I guess I'll have to experiment a bit more. I love cheap recipes -- don't have to worry too much about screwing it up! Bless Aglio e Olio... and omelettes.

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Pine nuts are cheap at Costco! If you don't belong ask a friend who belongs to get some for you.

just be careful -- some issues n the past with pine nuts from china not actually being what they are supposed to be.

what's the sauce supposed to be like? sort of a beurre blanc type thing?

No, just oil, chilli and garlic. That it, nothing else, no pinenuts etc......
Those are others pastas 😣😣

Original receipt include also, anjoivis and parsley.

so how exactly are you supposed to produce a "creamy" sauce with olive oil and pasta water and minced garlic? and anchovies and parsley. I get there is some starch in the pasta water and actually if you mince up the garlic it should aid in strengthening the emulsion of oil and starchy water. Perhaps you can strengthen the bond further by allowing the pasta and reserved water to cool slightly (starch retrogradation)... though I think the recipe then calls to boil the mixture which will probably break down the amylopectin chains again.

Is the OP getting the ratio of water and oil correct... one must assume after 20 attempts that thought had occurred!

Emulsification my man.

I just feel like the creaminess suggests a want for some kind of dairy which realistically if you're following the recipe shouldn't be there. I guess if you are using excessive water to boil utility grade pasta the recipe will never turn out. But I also think just as likely many people, when trying to recreate a recipe they recall from a beloved family member, often fail to take into account that grandmas are notorious for putting in a dash of whatever to make a recipe their own... Like any other cook... Interesting recipe I will have to try it.