Pasta Aglio E Olio (Pasta with
Garlic & Olive Oil)
Pasta aglio e olio, or pasta with garlic and olive oil is simple, quick, easy, and very good. Timing is important though. Read the directions carefully.
| ⅓ cup | good olive oil |
| 1 lb | angel hair pasta |
| 3 qts | water |
| 2 tbl | salt |
| ½ tsp | crushed red pepper flakes |
| 8 large cloves | garlic, cut into thin slivers |
| 1 tsp | salt |
| ½ cup | flat leaf parsley, finely chopped |
| 1½ tbl | parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus more for serving |
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a pot large enough to hold the pasta, like a very large non-stick frying pan or Dutch oven. We use a 7-quart Dutch oven.
While the oil is heating, bring a large pot with 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt and the pasta. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the directions on the pasta package call for.
While the pasta is boiling, add the red pepper and garlic to the oil and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic just begins to turn the edges a tiny bit brown. Don't overcook the garlic.
About now, the pasta should be cooked. Turn the heat off and collect 1½ cups of the pasta cooking water. Leave the pasta in the water and stir it occasionally to keep it from sticking together. The hot water will cook the pasta a bit more, but stopping the heat 2 minutes before the package directions makes the pasta perfect.
When the garlic has just started to brown, carefully add the reserved pasta-cooking water to the garlic and oil and bring everything to a boil. Lower the heat to a strong simmer, add the teaspoon of salt, and simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by about a third.
Just before the 5 minutes of cooking the garlic, olive oil, and pasta water are up, drain the pasta. Add the drained pasta to the garlic sauce and toss well. As soon as the pasta is warm, turn off the heat, add the parsley and parmesan and toss well again. Allow the pasta to rest, off the heat, for 5 minutes to let the pasta absorb the sauce.
Serve with extra Parmesan on the side.