Aglio e Olio

    Frequently when my wife comes back from a long hike, she craves red meat. Something bloody. I usually come home feeling like the Tin Man, joints in dire need of lubrication. I gravitate towards pasta and oil. The pasta was something I remember reading about in an essay from David Foster Wallace, denigrating sports drink in favor of pasta. Somewhere in an essay on his youthful tennis career, probably in the collection: A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again. The oil seemed obvious; something to lube up the joints that have been protesting after being put to their intended use. I found a recipe for a simple traditional Italian dish called Aglio e Olio, or Garlic and Oil. The girls know that when I cook I always use garlic. The one meal I made without was bland trash. Butter sauce without garlic can kiss my grits. 

Ingredients:

Garlic, one large head, divided into cloves, then peeled

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2tbsp + 1/2 cup

Pasta, one 16oz package 

Kosher Salt, 3tbsp + 2tsp

Parmesan Cheese, 1/2 cup + 3/4 cup

Red Pepper Flakes, 3/4tsp

Italian Parsley, 3/4 cup freshly chopped

Process:

Position rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. 

Place garlic cloves in a small, ovenproof pan and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss to coat evenly.

Place pan in oven and roast until garlic is light golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Remove promptly.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. 

Add 3 tablespoons salt and cook pasta until al dente. 

When the pasta is ready, reserve 1 and 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking liquid for use later. 

Drain the remaining water, then set pasta aside, tossing it with a bit of olive oil to prevent noodles from sticking.

When the garlic has finished roasting, transfer the cloves and any oil left in the pan to a food processor or blender. 

Add 1/2 cup of Parmesan, then pulse a few times to combine. 

With the food processor or blender running, slowly pour in the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil and blend until mostly smooth.

Heat a skillet large enough to hold the pasta over medium. 

Add the garlic –olive oil mixture and red pepper flakes. 

Cook for 30 seconds, then add the reserved pasta cooking liquid. 

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and add the remaining 2 teaspoons salt. 

Simmer for 5 minutes, until reduced by about 1/3.

Add reserved pasta to the skillet and toss to coat. 

Remove pan from heat, add remaining 3/4 cup parmesan cheese and parsley, then toss well. 

Allow the mixture to rest for 5 minutes so that the noodles absorb the sauce. Serve warm topped with additional Parmesan.

Source:

https://www.wellplated.com/garlic-pasta/

NB: don't pronounce the G in the name