A quick and easy way to enjoy healthy greens, you can't go wrong with spaghetti aglio e olio with escarole. And best of all this 6 ingredient pasta recipe is ready in about 20 minutes!
Eating your greens does not have to be a boring and tasteless affair! Enjoy them in a double crust pizza with chicory or swiss chard; combine with creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes; transform them into fritters; or perfectly paired with beans in this pasta dish, the list is endless!
Then there's this delicious escarole pasta recipe. One of the easiest pasta dishes you'll make, this recipe basically consists of garlic and oil spaghetti (pasta aglio e olio) with escarole tossed in.
This pasta with escarole is simply flavoured with sautéed garlic and red pepper flakes (optional) for a little spicy kick and anchovy fillets for that delicious umami flavor.
And of course don't skip serving this pasta with your favorite grated cheese whether it be Parmigiano, Pecorino Romano or my choice, ricotta salata.
This perfect weeknight dinner pasta recipe will be ready in the time it takes to boil your pasta!
Ingredient list
- Curly escarole
- Spaghetti
- Olive oil
- Anchovy fillets: you can omit them if you prefer
- Red pepper flakes: optional
- Garlic
- Salt, to taste
- Grated Parmigiano, Pecorino Romano or ricotta salata for serving
The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed printable recipe card.
Step by Step Instructions
- Trim the ends from the escarole and wash well to remove all traces of dirt. Give the leaves a rough chop and set aside.
- Finely mince garlic and anchovy fillets (if using).
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add spaghetti.
- After three minutes stir in the chopped escarole.
- Cook until the pasta is very al dente, about two minutes less than suggested on the package.
- Meanwhile heat olive oil over medium heat in a skillet large enough to hold the pasta.
- Sauté the anchovies and red pepper flakes using the back of a wooden spoon to break down the anchovies until they melt into the oil, 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
- Use tongs, a spider or pasta scooper to transfer the spaghetti to the skillet. You want some of that pasta water to go into the pan as well.
- Stir to combine all ingredients well. Add a ladle or more of pasta cooking water as needed to allow the sauce ingredients to cling to the pasta and until the pasta is al dente. If necessary, add extra olive oil to ensure the pasta is not dry.
- Remove from the heat and drizzle with a little extra olive oil.
- Serve hot with plenty of grated cheese at the table.
Recipe Notes
-Replace escarole with greens of your choice such as swiss chard; chicory; rapini or spinach.
-Spinach leaves are usually quite tender therefore sauté directly in the skillet along with the anchovies and garlic before stirring in the cooked spaghetti.
-The anchovies may be omitted from the recipe if you prefer.
Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Did you try this recipe?
Let me know how much you enjoyed it by rating it in the recipe card below!
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Check out more quick and easy pasta recipes with few ingredients!
- Pasta with Broccoli
- Sicilian Cucuzza with Pasta
- Pasta with Ricotta
- Sicilian Cauliflower Pasta
- Pasta with Tuna and Peas in Cream Sauce
- Pistachio Pesto Shrimp Pasta
- Pasta with Breadcrumbs
- Sicilian Pasta with Anchovies and Breadcrumbs
- Pasta with Zucchini and Mushrooms
- Swiss Chard and White Bean Pasta
- Creamy Chickpeas with Pasta
- Pasta with Potatoes
- Pasta with Peas and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 500 grams curly escarole 1 large bunch
- 500 grams spaghetti
- ½ cup olive oil plus extra for drizzling
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 2-3 anchovy fillets
- red pepper flakes (optional) as much as desired
- salt to taste
- grated cheese for serving (Parmigiano, Pecorino Romano or ricotta salata)
Instructions
- Trim the ends from the escarole and wash well to remove all traces of dirt. Give the leaves a rough chop and set aside.
- Finely mince garlic and anchovy fillets (if using).
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add spaghetti. After three minutes stir in the chopped escarole.
- Cook until the pasta is very al dente, about two minutes less than suggested on the package.
- Meanwhile heat olive oil over medium heat in a skillet large enough to hold the pasta. Sauté the anchovies and red pepper flakes using the back of a wooden spoon to break down the anchovies until they melt into the oil, about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
- Use tongs, a spider or pasta scooper to transfer the spaghetti into the skillet. You want some of that pasta water to go into the pan as well.
- Stir to combine all ingredients well. Add a ladle or more of pasta cooking water as needed to allow the sauce ingredients to cling to the pasta and until the pasta is al dente. If necessary, add extra olive oil to ensure the pasta is not dry.
- Remove from the heat and drizzle with a little extra olive oil. Serve hot with plenty of grated cheese at the table.
Notes
-Spinach leaves are usually quite tender therefore sauté directly in the skillet along with the anchovies and garlic before stirring in the cooked spaghetti.
-The anchovies may be omitted from the recipe if you prefer. Storage Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 day.s
tdchinges
This spaghetti aglio e olio with escarole recipe is stunning, thank you for your recipes that taught me how to make it.