Aglio e Olio

By KDHarmon

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

• 1 1 1 pound spaghetti
• table salt (see note above)
• 6 6 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 1/4 30 20 10 5 1 to 2 20 medium, 10 large, or 5 extra large cloves) from 1 to 2 heads
• 3/4 3/4 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 3 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 2 2 1 teaspoons lemon juice from 1 lemon
• 1/2 1/2 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, coarsely grated (optional)

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from cooksillustrated.com

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.

Makes 4-6 servings.