Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Broccolini and Blistered Sungolds
The honest Italian weeknight pasta - garlic gently golden in good olive oil, chili, and a splash of pasta water swirled into a silky sauce, with broccolini and blistered Sungolds. Toasted breadcrumbs stand in for cheese, the way it is done in Naples. Vegan by nature, not by substitution.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Serves
- 4
- Method
- Skillet
Aglio e olio has no cream and no cheese - the silky sauce is nothing but good olive oil, garlic, and a ladle of starchy pasta water emulsified together. Toasted garlicky breadcrumbs, the Neapolitan poor-man's parmesan, are the crunch on top. This is how it is really made.
What actually matters here
- Cook the garlic gently to golden, not brown - burnt garlic turns the whole dish bitter.
- Save a mug of pasta water and emulsify it with the oil for a silky, glossy sauce.
- Toast the breadcrumbs in olive oil until deep golden - they are the crunch and the savoriness.
Ingredients
Serves 4.
Pasta
- 1 lbspaghetti
- 1/3 cupolive oil
- 8garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 tspchili flakes
- salt
Vegetables
- 1 bunchbroccolini, cut
- 2 cupsSungold or cherry tomatoes
- 1 tbspolive oil
Toasted Breadcrumbs
- 1 cuppanko or coarse breadcrumbs
- 2 tbspolive oil
- 2garlic cloves, grated
- 1/4 cupparsley
- salt
Before you start
- Toast the breadcrumbs in olive oil with grated garlic until golden; toss with parsley and salt.
- Blister the Sungolds in a little oil until they burst; set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Method
- Cook the spaghetti to al dente; save a mug of pasta water.
- Meanwhile, gently cook the sliced garlic and chili in the olive oil until golden and fragrant.
- Add the broccolini with a splash of pasta water; cook until crisp-tender.
- Add the drained pasta and a ladle of pasta water; toss hard until glossy and emulsified.
- Fold in the blistered Sungolds.
- Top generously with the toasted breadcrumbs and parsley.
How you know it is right
- The sauce is silky and clings to every strand.
- The garlic is golden and sweet, never burnt.
- The Sungolds are jammy and sweet.
- The breadcrumbs add crunch and savor.
How to serve it
Serve right away, with extra breadcrumbs and chili flakes at the table.
If you want it simpler
- This is already a 25-minute dinner; pre-toasted breadcrumbs speed it more.
- Any long pasta works - linguine, bucatini, spaghettini.
Golden the garlic, emulsify with pasta water, blister the Sungolds, crown with breadcrumbs.
This dish came from the SEASON plan for July 20 - 26, 2026, alongside nine other dinners and one shopping list.
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Written and tested by Chef Michael Rossi, who has spent thirty years in professional kitchens including Napa Rose, THE RANCH, The Masters at Augusta National, and The Beach Club. Every SEASON recipe is one he has cooked on a real line before it reaches a home kitchen.