Aglio Olio e Peperoncino: Garlic, Oil and Chilli Pasta
Posted on October 24 2026
Aglio, olio e peperoncino means "garlic, oil and chilli": spaghetti tossed with thinly sliced garlic gently cooked in olive oil, chilli and, usually, chopped parsley. It is a classic of Naples, and in Italy it is the dish people most often make for a late-night spaghettata with friends.
There is very little to it, which is exactly why cooks argue about how to get it right. Here is where it comes from, how it is made and why it belongs to the small hours.
What the name means
The name is simply the ingredient list. Aglio is garlic, olio is oil, meaning extra virgin olive oil, and peperoncino is chilli. Without the chilli the dish is known as spaghetti aglio e olio. There is also a version with mushrooms, aglio, olio e funghi.
Where it comes from
The dish is typical of Naples, in Campania. It was once also known as vermicelli alla Borbonica.
Its popularity is easy to understand. Everything it needs is cheap and keeps well in the cupboard: dried pasta, garlic, olive oil and dried chilli. Parsley is the one fresh herb, and even that is optional in some kitchens.
How it is made
The method is short, but each step matters:
- Garlic is sliced thinly, or left whole and removed later, and cooked gently in plenty of extra virgin olive oil.
- The garlic should turn golden, not dark. Burnt garlic makes the whole dish bitter, so many cooks lift it out once it has browned.
- Chilli goes into the oil, either dried and crumbled or fresh and finely sliced. How much is entirely up to the cook.
- The pasta is cooked in salted water and drained shortly before it is done, keeping back a ladle of the cooking water.
- Pasta, a splash of that water and chopped parsley are tossed in the pan with the oil until everything comes together.
Some recipes use the pasta water to bring the oil together into a light sauce. Others simply stir the oil through the drained pasta. Both are common.
Cheese or no cheese?
Most traditional recipes leave cheese out altogether. That said, grated Parmesan or pecorino is sometimes added, and there are related Neapolitan dishes, such as pasta allo scarpariello, that do use it.
The midnight spaghettata
In Italy, aglio olio e peperoncino has a particular place in the evening. The spaghettata di mezzanotte, or midnight spaghetti, is a spontaneous plate of pasta made at home when friends have had dinner or a night out and nobody wants to go home yet. It does not have to be exactly midnight. People eat it standing up, on the sofa or straight from the pan.
There is no fixed recipe for a spaghettata, but it usually becomes aglio, olio e peperoncino, because it needs little skill and only what is already in the cupboard. One writer links the habit to old trattorias, where the dish was served as a late extra to regulars who stayed on. Treat that as one account rather than settled history.
At Bigoli
Our Aglio Olio Peperoncino is garlic and chilli in olive oil, with parsley and cherry tomatoes. The cherry tomatoes are our own addition, not part of the Neapolitan original. With a sauce this simple there is nowhere to hide, which is why we like it on pasta made the same day: our pasta is extruded on site every morning from semolina and water, and cooked to order. Parmesan comes on the side if you want it.
You can have it on any of our six shapes: penne, rigatoni, spaghetti, fusilli, bigoli or fettuccine. Every pasta dish except Dello Chef can be made with our gluten-free penne. Some add-ons, such as meatballs, contain gluten. Not a gluten-free kitchen.
It also suits the late-night spirit. We are open late on City Road: until 23:00 Monday to Thursday and on Sunday, and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. We take orders right up to closing time, and everything is cooked when you order, so a plate at half past ten is as fresh as one at lunch. We open at 11:00 every day except 25 December and 1 January.
We are at 123 City Road, by the Old Street roundabout, about a minute's walk from Old Street station.
Frequently asked questions
What does aglio olio e peperoncino mean?
Garlic, oil and chilli. The name lists the three main ingredients, with the oil being extra virgin olive oil.
Where does aglio olio e peperoncino come from?
It is typical of Naples, in Campania, where it was once also called vermicelli alla Borbonica.
Do you put cheese on aglio olio?
Traditionally, no. Some cooks add grated Parmesan or pecorino. At Bigoli, Parmesan comes on the side so you can choose.
Can I get aglio olio late at night near Old Street?
Yes. Bigoli is open until 23:00 Sunday to Thursday and until midnight on Friday and Saturday, and we take orders up to closing.