Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Spaghetti, or its slightly thicker cousin linguine, cooked with chilli, garlic and olive oil is one of the quickest, easiest and tastiest pasta dishes anyone should be able to cook. This fresh and vibrant Italian classic is made with ingredients most households should have in their store cupboards, and it's a fabulous way of conjuring up something delicious for those unexpected guests we all get from time to time.
The trick is to use the best quality olive oil you can get hold of. Nothing less than Extra Virgin will do, but the finer the oil, the tastier will be the end result. Fresh herbs also add considerably to the final flavor. Most supermarkets sell growing pots of flat-leaf parsley and basil, so buy one of these to have on your kitchen window sill for those moments when only fresh will do.
Ingredients (to serve 4 people)
- 12 ounces spaghetti or linguine
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 fresh chilli, chopped (or pinch of crushed dried chillies)
- Handful of roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 4 tablespoons good quality, extra virgin olive oil
Method
- Cook the pasta in plenty of rapidly boiling, salted water. Use the biggest pot you have - pasta really needs space to spread out as it cooks or it can stick together. Contrary to common advice it is not necessary to add any oil to the cooking water. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot; keep a little of the cooking water back to help the pasta stay moist as you prepare the sauce.
- Put all the other ingredients in a seperate pan over a low heat. Cook for a few minutes until the garlic is golden but not burnt. Swish everything around gently with a wooden spoon.
- Toss the pasta in the oil until it is nicely coated. Serve straight away on warm plates with plenty of freshly-grated parmesan cheese and some crusty bread for a perfect emergency supper dish.
Variations on a Theme
The basic oil, garlic, parsley and chilli base is perfect for tinkering with. A handful of choppped sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, marinated artichokes or lemon with fresh basil are all perfect embellishments.
For something more elaborate throw in a handful of fresh chopped cherry tomatoes, fresh crabmeat (or tinned if that's all you have) or juicy jumbo king prawns, and squeeze in some lime juice for an authentic taste of the Mediterranean.
Alasdair Smith - Scottish-based education, travel, family-history and food writer with a passion for all things French and Italian.
