Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Serves: 4
 
INGREDIENTS
  • 4 servings of spaghetti, linguine, or any long pasta
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 8-10 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon red chilli flakes (or as per taste)
  • Salt, to taste
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley
  • A handful of basil leaves, roughly torn
  • To serve: grated Parmesan, more freshly ground black pepper
  • Optional: sliced olives and capers
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook as per package instructions or until al-dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.
  2. Heat the olive oil on low-medium heat. Add sliced garlic and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper, and cook for a couple of minutes or until the garlic is softened and brown (we wan’t soft, not crispy and burnt garlic). Adding the black pepper at this stage allows the spice to bloom properly. If using olives and capers (or any veggies), add them at this stage.
  3. Add a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking liquid to the pan carefully (it will splash), and let it simmer until it reduces, about 5 minutes. This forms your “sauce.”
  4. Add the red chilli flakes and spaghetti, and toss well. Season with salt (Note: pasta will already be seasoned as it’s cooked in salty water, so use salt with discretion).
  5. Remove the pasta from the the heat and toss in the chopped herbs. Add grated parmesan and mix well.
  6. Serve pasta topped with more Parmesan, black pepper, and red chilli flakes.
Recipe by Sprig & Vine at http://sprigandvine.in/spaghetti-aglio-e-olio/