Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil

Name: Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients: Kosher salt to taste; 10 garlic cloves, sliced; 1/3 cup olive oil, plus more as needed; 1 pound spaghetti; 1/2 teaspoon peperoncino flakes; 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley; 1 packed cup fresh basil leaves, shredded; 1/2 cup grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano

December 14, 2011

Spaghetti aglio e olio is one of those basic recipes that just about every household in Italy, and every Italian American household, has made at one time or another. Searching for flavors of home, Italian immigrants could create a tasty dish with just pasta, olive oil, and flavorful garlic. The simplicity of these three ingredients and the technique used here is what makes it so good. Do not burn the garlic, and add pasta water to make it into a sauce—the secret is as simple as that. In my recipe, I have added some shredded basil, since I’ve found in my travels that the addition of basil to a garlic-and-oil sauce is quite common. I often add basil to recipes: when in season, it brings freshness and that pleasant garden bouquet to many dishes.

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