Shrimp & Olive Aglio e Olio
aglio e olio is already perfect, but add shrimp and briny green olives and it becomes something else entirely🍝🦐 garlic, shallot, fresh chili, and lemon all come together in a silky olive oil sauce that clings to every strand of spaghetti. honestly so good i could eat this every week. 🫶
Ingredients
½ lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ lb spaghetti
½ cup green olives, sliced
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 red chilies, thinly sliced (adjust to heat preference)
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
⅓ cup olive oil
¼ cup parmesan, freshly grated
Salt & pepper to taste
Serves 2-3
Prep time ~10mins
Cook time ~15mins
Cooking Instructions
Cook the pasta
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
Build the aglio e olio base
While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add sliced garlic and shallot and cook slowly, stirring often, for 3–4 min until softened and just starting to turn golden.
Add sliced chili and cook 1 min until fragrant.
Add sliced olives and toss to coat in the oil. Cook 1–2 min.
Cook the shrimp
Increase heat to medium-high. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook 1–2 min per side until pink and just cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. Remove shrimp and set aside.
Bring it all together
Reduce heat to medium. Add drained spaghetti to the pan and toss to coat in the oil. Add pasta water a splash at a time, tossing continuously, until the sauce is silky and emulsified.
Squeeze in lemon juice and add most of the parsley. Toss again.
Return shrimp to the pan and toss gently to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve immediately topped with remaining parsley, parmesan and an extra drizzle of olive oil.
Tips & Notes
Low and slow on the garlic — golden is the goal, not brown. Burned garlic will make the whole dish bitter.
The pasta water is what makes the sauce silky — add it gradually while tossing so it emulsifies with the oil.
Cook shrimp separately and add back at the end so they don't overcook while you're saucing the pasta.
Green olives add a buttery brininess that works perfectly here — Castelvetrano olives are my favorite!
Adjust chili to your heat level — one chili for mild, two for a real kick.
This comes together fast once the pasta is cooked — have everything prepped and ready before you start.