This is one of those 'What's in the pantry?' types of dishes. We had been on vacation for a week, so on our first night home we were in desperate need of a quick & easy, home cooked meal. But of course, we were exhausted & didn't feel like going to the grocery store so I searched the pantry. I had bought a spaghetti measuring tool while we were in Italy at Disney's Epcot park in Orlando, FL so I thought of this simple, but delicious dish. It was perfect! Ingredients: (For 2-3 servings)
1/2 lb Spaghetti
4-5 Garlic Cloves, minced
2-3 tbsp Olive Oil
1-2 tsp dried Parsley
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt & Pepper
Directions:
Set out 1 large sauce pan to cook the pasta & 1 large skillet. Fill the sauce pan with water & bring to a boil. Here is the beautiful spaghetti measuring tool that I bought on our trip. I thought it made a lovely souvenir! It's made out of olive wood, which I love!
Add the pasta to the boiling water & cook according to the package directions. Don't forget to add salt to the water!! You want to make sure you season the pasta well. While the pasta is cooking, add olive oil to the skillet, just enough to coat the bottom well (2-3 tbsp). Heat to medium heat & add the minced garlic.
Cook the garlic until golden, make sure not to burn or it will be bitter! You can add some crushed red pepper for heat, if you'd like too! Reduce heat to low.
When the pasta is al dente, add it directly from the pasta pot to the skillet with the garlic & olive oil. Don't drain with a colander. Reserve the pasta water, you will be using it later Using tongs, toss the spaghetti in the garlic & olive oil.
Add the dried parsley & a couple of ladles of the starchy pasta water & continue to toss. Like I said, we had been gone for a week so I didn't have any fresh herbs on hand. If you do, by all means use that instead of the dried! Use as much of the water as you need to coat the pasta. Taste & adjust the salt & pepper if needed. You can add a pat of butter at the very end to make it extra glossy too. Serve immediately with lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Trust me & try this the next time you want a simple, quick but delicious pasta dish! You won't believe how good it is!
One of our favorite dishes. True comfort food!!! Kate @kateiscooking
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