Spaghetti Aglio e Olio e Fried Shallot
Published May 25, 2022
- Total Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- ¼cup store-bought or homemade fried shallots (see Tip)
- Kosher salt
- 6medium garlic cloves
- 1pound dried spaghetti (see Tip)
- 6tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Pinch of red-pepper flakes
- 1tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves (optional)
- 1tablespoon minced fresh chives (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
614 calories; 22 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 88 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 15 grams protein; 348 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
If using homemade shallots, skip to Step 2. If using store-bought shallots, toast them in a dry 12-inch skillet over medium heat until deep caramel brown and aromatic, about 3 minutes. Season generously with salt and transfer to a bowl.
- Step 2
Smash the garlic cloves with the side of a knife and roughly mince. Set aside. Add a couple of inches of water and a large pinch of salt to the skillet, and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until just shy of al dente (about a minute less than the package directions).
- Step 3
Meanwhile, combine ¼ cup oil, the minced garlic, red-pepper flakes and a large pinch of salt in a large saucepan or skillet. Heat, stirring frequently, over medium-low until the garlic is very aromatic and just starting to turn pale gold in parts, about 5 minutes. It should maintain a very gentle sizzle the whole time it is cooking (adjust heat as necessary). When the garlic is done, shut off the heat, then, using a ladle or spoon, add a large splash of the pasta water to the pan with oil to halt the cooking. Add half the toasted shallots and stir.
- Step 4
When the pasta is just shy of al dente, using tongs, transfer it to the pan with the garlic oil, allowing any liquid that clings to it to come along; reserve a bit of the pasta water. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Return the pan with the pasta and garlic oil to high heat, and cook, stirring and tossing constantly, until a creamy, emulsified sauce coats the pasta. (If the sauce looks watery, continue tossing and cooking. If it looks broken and oily, add some more pasta water a few tablespoons at a time and continue cooking until it emulsifies.) Stir in the parsley and chives (if using), season to taste with more salt (it can take quite a bit of salt), transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with reserved toasted fried shallots and serve.
- You can find Southeast Asian-style fried shallots in most well-stocked Asian supermarkets, or from online specialty grocers. They can also be made at home. Check the ingredients on the packaging. They should have only shallots and oil (some have starch or some other coating ingredients). Also look for relatively wide slices of shallot as opposed to crumbled bits.
- Tip: For best results, use a high-quality bronze die-extruded pasta, such as De Cecco or Rustichella d’Abruzzo (look for dried pasta with a chalky, rough-looking surface as opposed to a smooth, darker yellow surface).
Private Notes
Comments
I've been creating carmelized shallots in the microwave. Sliced and in a pyrex dish with oil, I start at 5 minutes, and add 30 more seconds as needed. Like all frying, they will darken as they cool, so pull them lighter than you think they should be.
The canned fried shallots are a staple in our house. Such an easy way to add a umami punch to oatmeal, soups, sandwiches. Will try this soon on spaghetti. Look for a bright red coffee-can type container in your Asian supermarket. I’ve never seen any brand other than “Bull Head Shallot Sauce.”
Following up on this, the microwave method is also on Kenji's original Serious Eats recipe as an alternative. There's also a separate write-up by Sasha on SE that link to this method and a connection to America's Test Kitchen / Cooks Illustrated. tl;dr - microwave method also works, tested by legit people
Slicing the shallots made me cry but the end result was worth it.
Growing up we always used a mixture of toasted breadcrumbs and toasted chopped walnuts rather than cheese or shallots. Today I would add pecorino Romano to taste too!’
Excellent recipe, very tasty, very well received. But for my taste when I make again I'll cut the oil in half -- it'll still qualify as spaghetti aglio e olio but just not as much of the latter.
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