Serves: 2 | Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total: 20 min
If there’s one pasta dish I always have on rotation, it’s bucatini aglio e olio. It’s rich, garlicky, a little spicy, and comes together in about 20 minutes — no fancy ingredients, just something super tasty.
I first discovered this variation by accident. I always made spaghetti aglio e olio and when trying out new pastas, I thought Id give bucatini a try. The thicker, hollow pasta captures the sauce and gives a really nice bit of chew to the dish.
Today, I’ll show you how to make this super simple dish — with a few personal touches and pro tips I’ve picked up along the way.
What Is Bucatini Aglio e Olio?
Bucatini aglio e olio translates to “bucatini with garlic and oil.” It’s a simple pasta dish but it all comes down to technique and timing. Unlike its cousin, spaghetti aglio e olio, bucatini has a hollow center, which gives this dish a bit more chew and I think enhances the aglio e olio experience.
If you love aglio e olio, try my penne aglio e olio recipe for a slightly different twist on the classic!
Ingredients
All pantry staples — nothing fancy but they are all equally important
- 200g bucatini pasta
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (use the best you can get your hand on)
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (adjust depending how spicy you like it)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (optional and controversial but I sometimes add cheese)
- Zest of 1 lemon (optional for brightness and adds to the freshness)
Step-by-Step: How to Make Bucatini Aglio e Olio
Cook the Pasta
I like to cook my pasta for this in a large frying pan. The benefit of this is I can use less water which results in a starchier pasta water for helping to create that emulsified sauce. I like to cook the pasta around 3 minutes shy of al dente and finish cooking it with the pasta water and oil to get that emulsified sauce through pan tossing and continuous stirring.
Pro tip: Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining — it’s key for emulsifying the sauce.
Make the Garlic-Infused Oil
While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat
Add red pepper flakes and sauté for 30 seconds to bloom the spice and infuse the heat into the oil
Add sliced/minced garlic and cook gently for 2 minutes until golden and fragrant.
Do not let it burn — bitter garlic will totally ruin the dish.
Bring It All Together
Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss with the garlic oil. Pour in a little of the pasta water, stir vigorously/pan toss to create a light, glossy sauce. In Italian this is called mantecatura, which means to bring together.
Add more water if needed to loosen the sauce.
Finish with Freshness
Remove from the heat. Stir in chopped parsley, and season with salt and black pepper.
Here is where you can add extra flavour with grated parmesan or a little fresh lemon zest.
Serving Suggestions
Plate the pasta while it’s hot and glossy. I like to serve it with:
- A crisp green salad
- Crusty Italian bread
- A glass of chilled white wine
- I sometimes make it a more complete meal by topping the pasta with a nice fillet of pan fried sea bass.
Tips for the Best Bucatini Aglio e Olio
- Use good extra virgin olive oil: It’s the base of the dish and provides a large amount of flavour – use only extra virgin olive oil
- Watch the garlic: Golden, not brown, is what you are looking for. If you don’t like your food too garlicky, cut down the amount of cloves, or crush them whole, add to the oil then remove before serving for a more gentle garlic flavour.
- Adjust the heat: Add more pepper flakes if you like it spicy. You can also use fresh chillies if you do not have chilli flakes.
- Don’t skip the pasta water: This is what brings the dish together
Final Thoughts
Bucatini aglio e olio is more than just a quick pasta dish — it’s a reminder that great flavour can come from good quality simple ingredients and not a huge amount of effort.
I’ve made this countless times — it never disappoints and I even find myself asking the question – how can just garlic and olive oil taste so good!
Have you tried your own twist on aglio e olio? Added anchovies? Toasted breadcrumbs? Let me know in the comments — I’d love to hear what you’ve created!
Try Another Recipe
Bucatini Aglio e Olio (20-Minute Italian Classic)
Equipment
- 1 large frying pan
- 1 medium frying pan/saucepan
- 1 chefs knife
- 1 pair of silicone tongs
Ingredients
- 200 g bucatini pasta
- 4 cloves garlic minced or thinly sliced
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes adjust to taste
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan optional
- Zest of 1 lemon optional, for brightness
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta
- Bring a large frying pan of well salted water to the boil.
- Cook the bucatini about 3 minutes short of al dente.
- Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- Make the Garlic Oil
- While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet/saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Add red pepper flakes and sauté for 30 seconds to get the heat into the oil
- Add garlic and cook gently for 2 minutes, until just golden and fragrant. Do not let it brown.
- Combine and Emulsify
- Add drained pasta to the skillet with the garlic oil.
- Toss or stir vigorously while gradually adding reserved pasta water.
- Continue tossing/stirring until a light, glossy sauce forms (this is called mantecatura).
- Finish and Serve
- Remove from heat. Stir in chopped parsley.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Optional: Add grated Parmesan and/or lemon zest for extra depth.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use high-quality extra virgin olive oil — its the star of the dish
- Golden garlic only — DO NOT BURN IT!
- For a milder garlic flavour, sauté whole crushed cloves in the oil and remove before serving.
- Don’t skip the pasta water — it’s key to creating that smooth sauce
Hi, I’m Paul! I’m a passionate home chef, recipe developer, and food lover who believes that cooking should be fun, rewarding, and stress-free! Through Scoffs & Feasts, I share my favorite tried-and-tested recipes, cooking tips, and troubleshooting advice to help home cooks gain confidence in the kitchen. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced foodie, I hope my recipes inspire you to try something new.