one little word updte: pasta aligio e olio.

on my quest to embrace my one little word selection for 2001 - chef - i am determined to use at least one published recipe a week. this week i fished a beauty out of the new ina garten cookbook i got for christmas. it was the one for spagetti aglio e olio.

delicious is a word too subtle to describe it. wonderful and fantastic do not measure up.

i followed it word for word only deviating to add leftover roasted chicken to it to put it over the edge. served with homemade garlic bread and a tossed salad this was a perfect monday night meal. definitely going to make it into our regular rotation except next time i'm going to boost the sauce with some white wine and add some roasted prawns.

spaghetti aglio e olio

kosher salt
1 pound dried spaghetti - I used whole wheat spaghetinni, that's what we like here.
1/3 cup good olive oil
8 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup minced frsh parsley
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

bring large pot of water to a boil. add 2 tablespoons of salt and the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package. set aside 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water before you drain the pasta.

meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in a pot large enough to hold the pasta, such as a 12-inch saute pan or a large, shallow pot. add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until it just begins to turn golden on the edges - don't over cook it! add the red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds more. (this is where i would add some white wine!) carefully add the reserved pasta-cooking water to the garlic an oil and bring to a boil. lower the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by about a third.

add the drained pasta to the garlic sauce and toss. off the heat, add the parsley and parmesan and toss well. allow the pasta to rest off the heat for 5 minutes for the sauce to be absorbed. taste for seasoning and serve warm with extra parmesan on the side.

recipe from barefoot contessa how easy was that? author: ina garten
photo courtesy of recipe bridge.