Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Escarole Recipe

Large bowl filled with garlicky sautéed escarole spaghetti.

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Escarole Recipe

A quick and easy way to enjoy healthy greens, you can't go wrong with spaghetti aglio e olio with escarole tossed in. And best of all this 6 ingredient pasta recipe is ready in about 20 minutes!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Sicilian-Italian

Keyword garlic and oil spaghetti with escarole

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Servings servings

Calories 486kcal

Author Nadia Fazio

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

Substitutions and Variations

-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.

Storage

Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 day.s

Nutrition