Spaghetti Aglio Olio e Peperoncino
Spaghetti Aglio Olio e Peperoncino
On July 5th,Italians celebrate “National Midnight Spaghetti Day.” My pasta-loving son was born on July 5th, but I believe the tradition predates his birth J.
I’ll leave the origins of this celebration for a future discussion. For now, I will focus on the festive, joyous, bonding event that is sharing an improvised “spaghettata”(literally spaghetti feast) with friends and family, and why not, at MIDNIGHT?
Given this summer’s scorching sun, midnight may be the perfect time for a delicious, fast, easy- to-prepare, affordable, crowd-pleasing, nutritious, irresistible SPAGHETTI dinner!
Ingredients
- 8 oz spaghetti
- Salt to taste (for pasta water and garlic sauce)
- 1/4 cup Italian extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 fresh red chili pepper
- 1/2 cup pasta water
- 1 bunch fresh italian flat leaf parsley
Instructions
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Bring a large pot of water (4 quarts) to a boil over high heat.
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While water is heating, peel the garlic and chop or slice thin.
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Remove leaves of Italian parsley from stems, wash, pat dry, and chop fine.
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Choose a large heavy pan (such as a cast iron) to guarantee even heat distribution. Add evoo, chili flakes and garlic and cook over low heat until garlic is fragrant and just turning golden BUT not brown.
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Add a pinch of salt to taste (optional)
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Once the pasta water has reached a rapid boil, add salt to taste and then spaghetti and cook for one minute less than recommended on package directions.
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When pasta is ready, reserve ½ cup of pasta water and drain the rest.
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Transfer the pasta back to the sauté pan, add reserved pasta water, a TBSP at a time as needed to keep the spaghetti moist but not too wet. Continue cooking on low heat and mixing well, making sure that all the reserved pasta water has been absorbed. The spaghetti will have a perfect al-dente texture. Remove from heat, add chopped parsley, mix one last time, and transfer to a platter or portion onto individual plates. Buon appetito!
