Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- Easy
- Serves 2
Simple basic spaghetti that can be modified to a variety of different sauces.
Ingredients
- 225g dried spaghetti
- 60ml extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- Half bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Method
- STEP 1In a pot of salted boiling water (1tbsp salt per 1 liter water), cook spaghetti until just shy of al dente (about 1 minute less than the package directs). Reserve pasta cooking water.
- STEP 2Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine 3 tablespoons oil and garlic. Add pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat until garlic is very lightly golden, about 5 minutes. (Adjust heat as necessary to keep it gently sizzling.)
- STEP 3Transfer pasta to saucepan along with 2 tbsp pasta water, increase heat to high, and cook, stirring and tossing rapidly, until a creamy, emulsified sauce forms. Remove from heat, add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and stir well to combine. Mix in chopped parsley and serve right away.
- STEP 4This pasta dish is easily modified to different sauces. This includes adding chopped bacon during step 2; adding a splash of white wine and clams; adding halved cherry tomatoes, anchovies and basil; adding sliced mushrooms and truffle oil etc.
