Pasta with Garlic and Oil (Aglio E Olio)

By lorik

For a twist on pasta with garlic and oil, try sprinkling toasted bread crumbs over individual bowls, but prepare them before proceeding with the pasta recipe. We like Maldon sea salt flakes for this dish, but ordinary table salt is fine as well.

Ingredients

• Variation from Food 52:
• 1 pound spaghetti
• Table salt (see note above)
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced garlic (about 30 small, 20 medium, 10 large, or 5 extra large cloves) from 1 to 2 heads
• 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice from 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, coarsely grated (optional)
• Sea salt
• 1 pound spaghetti, linguine, vermicelli, or other long thin pasta
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 plump garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1 small dried hot red chili, crumbled, or hot red pepper flakes to taste
• 3/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley (optional)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation

Step 1

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, set large heatproof serving bowl on rack and heat oven to 200 degrees. Bring 4 quarts water to rolling boil, covered, in large Dutch oven or stockpot. Add pasta and 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt to boiling water, stir to separate pasta, cover, and cook until al dente; reserve 1/3 cup pasta cooking water and drain pasta.

2. While water is heating, combine 3 tablespoons oil, 3 tablespoons garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon table salt or sea salt flakes in heavy-bottomed nonstick 10-inch skillet; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until garlic foams and is sticky and straw-colored, 10 to 12 minutes. Off heat, add remaining tablespoon raw garlic, red pepper flakes, parsley, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons pasta cooking water to skillet and stir well to keep garlic from clumping.

3. Transfer drained pasta to warm serving bowl; add remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and remaining reserved pasta cooking water and toss to coat. Add garlic mixture and 3/4 teaspoon table salt or 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes to pasta; toss well to combine. Serve immediately, sprinkling individual bowls with portion of Parmesan, if desired.

Variation:
In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente—linguine will take 10 to 12 minutes, thinner pasta a little less.

While the pasta cooks, heat the oil over medium-low heat in a saucepan large enough to hold all the pasta. Add garlic to the oil and cook very gently, just until the garlic softens and starts to turn golden—do not let it brown. Add chili and optional parsley, along with a ladleful of starchy pasta cooking water. Turn the heat up a notch and let the sauce simmer vigorously for about 5 minutes. When the pasta is almost done, drain in a colander and turn immediately into the pan, mixing the pasta together with its sauce. Let simmer for about a minute or two, then serve immediately with more salt and ground pepper. Parmesan, too, if you're me.