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Pasta Aglio e Olio

Spaghetti with garlic, olive oil, chili, and parmesan. Six ingredients, twenty minutes, one of the most repeated recipes on r/EatCheapAndHealthy.

Total Cost $3.28
Per Serving $0.82
Prep 5 min
Cook 15 min
Servings 4
  • vegetarian
  • pasta
  • fast
  • very-low-cost
  • italian

Ingredients

  • 400 g spaghetti $0.88
  • 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced $0.64
  • 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil $0.38
  • 0.5 tsp chili flakes $0.03
  • 40 g parmesan, finely grated $1.20
  • small handful (optional) fresh parsley, roughly chopped $0.10
  • to taste salt and black pepper $0.05
  • Recipe total$3.28

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt it heavily — it should taste like the ocean.
  2. Cook the spaghetti until just al dente (1 minute less than the package says). Reserve 500 mL of pasta water before draining.
  3. While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
  4. Add the garlic slices. Cook slowly, stirring often, for 4–5 minutes until lightly golden. Do not let it brown — burnt garlic ruins the dish.
  5. Add the chili flakes. Stir for 30 seconds.
  6. Add the drained pasta directly to the skillet. Add 125 mL of pasta water and toss vigorously over medium heat.
  7. Add pasta water a splash at a time until you have a loose, silky sauce that coats the noodles. This takes 1–2 minutes of tossing.
  8. Remove from heat. Add half the parmesan and toss again.
  9. Serve immediately with remaining parmesan and parsley if using.

Nutrition per Serving

Estimated values per serving.

548 Calories
15g Protein
72g Carbs
22g Fat
3g Fiber
320mg Sodium
~10% DV Iron~8% DV Calcium

Gluten-Free

This recipe can be made gluten-free with substitutions.

  • Replace spaghetti with certified GF pasta or rice noodles (adds approximately $1.50–$2.00 to the total)

Budget Notes

  • Pasta water is the actual sauce here — the starch emulsifies with the oil. Don't skip it or rush the tossing step.
  • This is one of the cheapest meals you can make that doesn't taste like it. Total cost under $4 for four people.
  • Use the cheapest spaghetti available. No Frills and Walmart house brands work perfectly.
  • If parmesan is too expensive, nutritional yeast (2 tbsp per serving) works as a vegan substitute and costs less.