Aglio Olio

Never did I think that this simple pasta recipe can be so flavorful.  I was proven wrong.  This garlic and oil pasta wins my heart. From now on, I'm an AGLIO OLIO fan. :-)   

Serves  2
Prep Time  15 minutes
Cooking Time  15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 250g liguine or spaghetti
• 3 tbsp good-quality olive oil 
• 15 pcs fresh garlic cloves, sliced
• 8 pcs fresh garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp dried chili flakes
• 40g fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped 
• 50g butter 
• sea salt to taste 
• freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Optional:

• 1/2 cup homemade breadcrumbs

Cooking Procedure:

1. Bring a pot of water with 3-4 tbsp sea salt to a boil. 
2. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Pasta should be al dente and not overcooked. 
3. Drain and set aside the pasta, and reserve a small cup of pasta water. 
4. Heat olive oil in a sauce pan.
5. Add sliced and crushed garlic, and chili flakes. Saute the garlic until it turns light golden brown. 
6. Turn off the stove.
7. Melt the butter in the still-hot garlic and oil.
8. Add this mixture to the cooked pasta.
9. Add 1-2 tbsp (reserved) pasta water, chopped parsley and butter. Stir well to coat the pasta evenly.
10. If using breadcrumbs, sprinkle it on the pasta, then stir to coat. The breadcrumbs add texture. Repeat as desired.
11. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

1. Aglio Olio is very versatile that you can make variations -- mixed it with mushrooms, or seafood, etc. But I recommend that you try it as it is first. Experiment with other flavors the next time you cook it. :-)  
2. The quality of ingredients you use matters A LOT in a dish with minimal requirements.  Use good-quality olive oil (I cannot emphasize this enough), fresh garlic instead of bottled ones, and fresh parsley.
3. Did you notice the amount of salt you boil the pasta with? I suggest you boil it with that much salt to make the water as salty as sea water. This reduces, if not eliminates, the need to salt the dish later. 
4. Fond of putting oil in your pasta boil? DO NOT add oil when cooking the pasta for Aglio Olio. Doing so will prevent the pasta from absorbing the salt and the overall flavor of the dish.
5. No better way to check if the pasta is cooked than to bite it. If the pasta is firm but doesn't stick to your teeth, it's cooked. If it sticks to your teeth, cook for another minute and check again. DO NOT OVERCOOK. 
6. In cooking the garlic, make sure your pan is heated just right.  You want your garlic to gently sizzle when you put it in the pan. It shouldn't heat up with the garlic (your oil is under-heated). It shouldn't splatter as well (your oil is overheated).
7. To make the garlic a perfect golden brown, observe its color-change as it cooks.  Turn off the stove when it turns light golden brown.  Don't worry, it will continue to sizzle and cook in the hot oil until it reaches the desired color.  If you turn off the stove when the garlic is already golden brown, you will end up with burnt garlic. 
8. If the garlic, after self-cooking, does not reach your expected color, heat the pan up again for another 10 seconds and turn of the stove.  Have it self-cook again for a while. Repeat as needed.     
9. Why reserve pasta water? The pasta water acts as a binder for the ingredients.  It gives it a smoother finish too. (Unless you have breadcrumbs of course, which adds texture.) :-)
10. You can top it with grated Parmesan cheese if you want. 
11. I find that it greatly pairs with grilled herbed chicken and sauteed asparagus or green beans.

This recipe is requested by my sister-in-law, Ivory, for my nephew, Ice, who is a big Aglio Oilo fan.

Enjoy! :-)

Recipe and tips from Food, Food Network and Noob Cook.