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Want to try Daniel Pike’s cooking? Here’s his recipe for Spaghetti Aglio e Olio.
Bear in mind that Dan makes his own pasta using dough he has prepared from scratch, but you can also use a pasta maker, which is suprisingly easy, only takes about fifteen minutes, and is almost as good. Dan uses a Philips pasta maker, but there are many good ones on the market. If you must use store-bought spaghetti, remember that not all spaghettis are equal. Look for plain semolina-flour noodles (not whole wheat). Rao’s Homemade is excellent.
Ingredients:
1/4 pound spaghetti
extra virgin olive oil (with a spicy flavor profile, if you like the heat)
3-5 garlic cloves, sliced, and if you like, garlic confit
1 tablespoon dried chili flakes
plain breadcrumbs
1 pinch Italian parsley
1 lemon (use the zest)
kosher salt
Instructions:
1) Bring a large pot of salted (but don’t overdo it) water to simmer, then add spaghetti. Cook for a minute or two less than normal, until the pasta bends but is still “al dente (firm).”
Note: If you bring the water to a boil, it will cook quicker, but it will be hard to obtain the ideal texture.
2) In a separate saute pan, heat the olive oil and put the sliced garlic in the oil. Don’t burn the garlic!
3) Remove the saute pan from the heat and add the red pepper flakes. Stir well. Let the chili flakes and the garlic infuse the oil.
4) Put the saute pan on low heat. Add some of the pasta water and the pasta. Saute quickly so the sauce will coat the spaghetti. Taste. If the spaghetti is too firm, saute longer with a little added water and mixing. When you’re finished cooking, stir in garlic confit, if you’re using it.
5) Sprinkle with bread crumbs, and/or if you like, drizzle a little extra olive oil and sprinkle with parsley. Add lemon zest. Serve hot.