Pasta Aglio e Olio

Pasta Aglio e Olio

Guys..... two posts in a row after two years.  I know...it's nuts.

I just finished eating this wonderful dish and immediately thought to myself "I have to share this with the world."

Background:  There is a movie in existence.  Not just any movie, it is a phenomenal movie.  It's called "Chef"  and if features one of my favorite actors, director, producer, writer, and whatever else he does in his spare time, Jon Favreau.  I think I love this movie because it inspires a little bit in me my secret passion.  The movie is about a chef (Jon Favreau) who loses his mind in the mundane culinary world that he finds himself trapped in and decides to throw it all in the bucket to purchase a food truck and do what he LOVES.

Anyone else inspired?  Anyone else secretly think about if you could just give up what you have to do and pursue what you dream of doing?  Fortunately, I dream of changing peoples lives for the better (nursing for the win!) BUT..... If I was a billionaire, I'd spend my life diving into food.  Not to just eat it, but to experience it, create it, and enjoy it with the ones I love (this blog helps satiate a little of that desire ;))  This movie is without a doubt one of my favorites.

Back to the recipe!  This is a recipe that they cook in the movie.  It is a really simple sequence in the movie and a really simple dish, but the simplicity transcends to a complexity of flavors.  Are you sold yet?

This recipe accounts for two people eating one bowl with no left overs, so double if needed!

Pasta Aglio e Olio

From: Bingingwithbabish.com (one of the best rapid sequence food vloggers)

Ingredients:

1/2 head of garlic (I use 8 to 10 already peeled garlics because who has time to peel all that) thinly sliced

1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley finely chopped

1/2 cup of olive oil

1 heaping tsp of red pepper flakes

1/2 lb of long pasta (I use spaghetti, you can use linguine)

1/2 lemon 

Salt

Pepper

Directions:

1.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water, like the ocean.  Then cook the pasta as directed on the package

2.  While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large saute pan on medium heat.  Add the sliced garlic, stirring constantly (warning, it browns quick!  Take the pan off the heat if this happens to you and wait until the noodles are done before continuing!)  Cook the garlic until golden on the edges. 

3.  Add the red pepper flakes and lower the heat (I just take if off the burner completely at this point.)

4.  Add the pasta (drained) with about 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water.  Guys... I just use tongs to pull the pasta out of the water dripping, it ends up adding the necessary pasta water.

5. Squeeze lemon juice over the pasta and mix in the freshly minced parsley. If the pasta is too liquidy at this point, you can put it back on the heat to evaporate some of that water and let the pasta absorb it.

6. Season with salt and pepper and ENJOY!

Such a simple recipe with such simple ingredients, but the flavors are amazing together.  I just had a little 3 year old boy (my sous chef) come out and enjoy a few fork fulls of pasta.  He'll try anything I make, but he said this was a winner :)  Happy Eating!