Aglio e Olio
Aglio e Olio is the ultimate Italian comfort dish. It's the one pasta dish that's so simple yet so delicious that you can #tastethelove in every bite.
Equipment
- 1 saucepot 6-quart
- 1 deep-sided frying pan Rondeau
- 1 Microplane
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 colander-style spoon
- 1 cutting board
Ingredients
- 1 pound artisanal pasta Substitute spaghetti
- 1/2 cup *E.V.O.O.
- 1 tbsp red pepper flakes Optional
- 5 cloves of garlic Freshly grated
- 1 1/2 cups starchy pasta cooking water
- 2 cups Pecorino Romano Freshly grated
- 1 tsp black pepper Freshly ground
- 1/4 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley Finely chopped
- kosher salt for pasta water
Instructions
- In a cold, large, deep-sided frying pan, add *E.V.O.O. Next, add red pepper flakes, totally optional. I like a little heat for this recipe. Add freshly grated garlic. Then slowly add heat to infuse the garlic flavor. Not too high- medium heat, just enough to heat the garlic through, about 3-5 minutes. When you see little bubbles appear in the oil, lower the heat to the lowest temperature and keep an eye on it while you cook the pasta.In a large pot of salted boiling water, drop the pasta. Don't forget to salt the pasta water (2 heaping tablespoons); it's the only chance you get to season the pasta.When the pasta reaches the al dente stage, about 10 minutes, I use a large slotted colander-style spoon to transfer it to the pan with the garlic-infused oil and toss to coat.Because the garlic-infused oil is the sauce, the pasta will absorb it quickly, so I add 1 1/2 cups of the starchy pasta cooking liquid to the pan and toss again. This loosens the sauce and allows the cheese to distribute evenly throughout the pasta without clumping.Turn off the heat, add the freshly grated cheese and fresh ground black pepper, then sprinkle in the chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley.There you have it, my Aglio e Olio.
Notes
1) *E.V.O.O. is an acronym for Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
2) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value matter to you, I recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and values can vary, depending on the brands you choose.