Spaghetti with Garlic, Olive Oil, and Spicy Bread Crumbs

By lorik

Ingredients

• Variation from Food52:
• 2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Salt
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons butter
• splash of olive oil
• 2 small cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano
• handful flat-leaf parsley chopped
• pinch of lemon zest
• 1 pound linguine (or whatever pasta you like)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 cups ricotta (at room temperature)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano or Pecorino Romano cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Details

Adapted from cookscountry.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Meanwhile, process bread in food processor until coarsely ground. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add bread crumbs and cook, stirring occasionally, until light golden, about 3 minutes. Add half of garlic and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl and season with salt.

2. Wipe out skillet and add remaining 4 tablespoons oil, remaining half of garlic, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Cook over medium-low heat until garlic is just golden, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

3. Add 1 tablespoon salt and spaghetti to boiling water. Cook until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water, drain pasta, and return to pot along with reserved water. Stir in oil mixture, Parmesan, and parsley. Season with salt and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Serve.

Variation:
1. In a skillet, melt butter with a splash of olive oil, then add the garlic and cook until it just starts to brown. Add the bread crumbs and continue to cook until the crumbs are lightly browned. Take off the heat and pour the mixture into a bowl. Add the Parmigiano, parsley, and lemon zest, stir to combine, and set aside.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When there is a rolling boil, add a lot of salt --taste the water; it should taste salty. Put the pasta in and stir to separate. While the pasta is cooking, heat your milk until it's hot to the touch (I microwaved it for 45 seconds). Put the ricotta and Parmigiano in your serving bowl and add the hot milk, mix it up, and season to taste. When the pasta is al dente, drain and add the hot pasta to the bowl with the ricotta-milk mixture. Toss to combine and top with the bread crumbs. Garnish with a little more grated Parmigiano and serve.