Keto Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

This easy Low Carb Keto Spaghetti Aglio e Olio needs only 5 ingredients and is ready in 5 minutes! Great side dish or main entree with any protein of choice! Just 5 net carbs per serving!

What is Spaghetti Aglio e Olio?

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio means spaghetti with garlic and oil. It's a traditional Italian dish that originated in Naples and became very popular because it's a very simple dish and uses inexpensive ingredients.

As a Sicilian Italian family, I grew up eating this aglio olio, as we would call it, every week.

We make this classic Italian dish keto friendly by swapping the spaghetti with a low-carb pasta.

Is Spaghetti Keto?

Traditional spaghetti made from durum wheat or white flour is not keto friendly.

Gluten free pasta made from chickpeas, brown rice flour, corn, quinoa, buckwheat, or millet are also high in carbohydrates and would not be suitable for a ketogenic diet.

Is there Low Carb Spaghetti?

Yes there are quite a few options for low carb spaghetti when you're on a keto diet or low carb diet.

The first option is using zucchini noodles, which you can make at home yourself using a serrated peeler or Spiralizer.

Another option if you don't want to make the noodles is using Shirataki pasta made from konjac root and very low in carbs. Some people dislike the squishy texture.

Palmini pasta, which is what we've used in this recipe, is made from Hearts of Palm and a delicious and easy choice for making this more like linguine aglio e olio. Cooking time with Palmini pasta, is a lot quicker than a regular pasta.

Spaghetti squash can also be spiralized into pasta noodles, but it does have higher carbs than using zucchini, or hearts of palm.

How to Make Keto Easy Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Ingredients

Just a few ingredients to make this easy keto spaghetti aglio e olio! Low carb pasta, we are using Palmini, which is hearts of palm. Extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil, red chili pepper, fresh cloves of garlic, fresh parsley and salt and black pepper.

You could use minced garlic, but fresh garlic cloves give you more garlic flavor.

Step 1

Drain and rinse Palmini linguine. Gently pat dry with a paper towel.

Step 2

Chop your cloves of garlic, red chili pepper and fresh parsley. Set aside.

Step 3

Heat the olive oil in frying pan on a low heat. Add the garlic and cook until just golden, about 1 minute. Add the chili for about 20 seconds.

Step 4

Add the Palmini linguine and toss to combine until warmed through, about 1 minute. Stir through the fresh parsley and season to taste.

Optional to add red pepper flakes and grated Parmesan cheese for serving.

Can you use any other Palmini Pasta?

Of course, I chose Palmini linguine as it’s the closest look to spaghetti, but you can also use the angel hair noodles for a finer option and there are other brands that use palm of hearts spaghetti if you prefer. They’re all very similar so just grab what you can find.

Ok so I won’t lie, it’s doesn’t taste the same as real pasta, but it is super nice and it’s speedy. If making low carb pasta with lupin flours or nut based flours etc it can still take quite a while, this is a quick alternative for busy bees who also love veggies as their base.

Best Chef Tips

Wash the Palmini linguine well before using. I like to gently pat it dry too with a bit of paper towel.

Keep the olive oil on a low heat when frying the garlic to avoid burning the oil.

You can substitute with avocado oil, if you prefer that has a higher cooking temperature, but this classic recipe tastes better with olive oil in my opinion.

What to serve with Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

To turn this gluten-free version of spaghetti aglio e olio into a main course, be sure to add your favorite protein choice. Here are some great options:

Air Fryer Salmon

Sheet Pan Shrimp

Chicken Piccata Meatballs

Chicken Parmesan

Beef Short Ribs

Keto Spaghetti Aglio e Olio