Spaghetti Aglio E Olio

Sometimes it’s the simplest dishes that are the most delicious.  That’s definitely the case with spaghetti aglio e olio.  It has an incredibly simple list of ingredients, but it packs incredible flavor.  It’s great as a main dish paired with a salad and some good crusty bread and it also works really well as a side dish.  It would compliment grilled chicken or fish perfectly.

You will see anchovy paste in the list of ingredients….don’t be afraid of that.  I promise you it will not make the dish taste fishy.  What it will do is deepen the flavor of the dish and make it taste even more amazing!

Because it has such a simple list of ingredients it’s also super easy to prepare.  The dish is done in the amount of time that it takes to cook the pasta.  It’s so easy to make that I have been known to make this after 10:00 in the evening because I’ve had a craving for pasta.  And let me tell you, as a late night snack it’s amazing!!

Spaghetti Aglio E Olio

• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp anchovy paste or 2 anchovy filets
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 lb pasta, cooked to al dente, about 9 minutes (I used Barilla Plus multi-grain)
• 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid
• black pepper

Add olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes to a large skillet.  Cook over medium low heat for about 2 to 3 minutes until garlic becomes fragrant.

Add anchovy paste or filets and stir until it melts into the oil.

Add cooked pasta to the skillet, along with 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid.  Toss until pasta is well coated with the oil.

Stir in parmesan and parsley.

Add black pepper to taste.

Serve with additional parmesan cheese and black pepper.

ENJOY!

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The Country Cook