Aglio Olio

A really simple pasta dish where timing and proportions are quite important.

Ingredients

For 2 small/medium portions or 1 large portion:

• 160g pasta (spaghetti or a long pasta works well, and bronze cut is better)

• 3 garlics (2 crushed, 1 unpeeled)

• 2 chillis (1 finely chopped, 1 whole)

• Parsley to taste (plus 3 whole stalks)

• 1/4 cup (~60ml) extra virgin olive oil

• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Use a shallow and wide pan to cook the pasta, and use as little water as possible to cover. Measure how much water is used in the pan, and add 1% salt. Once water is boiling, add the pasta and stir to prevent sticking. Set a timer for about 2 minutes less than al dente according to instructions.

2. Place the oil, whole unpeeled garlic, whole chilli and parsley stems into another wide pan. Turn the heat on, and fry until flagrant (about 5 minutes). Discard the whole pieces and reduce the heat to very low.

3. The timer for the pasta should not have gone off yet but the water should be fairly starchy. Take a ladle full of pasta water and add to oil (will likely spit a lot if the oil is still very hot). Mix around a lot to try to emulsify. If it completely evaporates, add a bit more and continue until timer goes off.

4. Using tongs, add the pasta to the oil straight from the water, and increase the heat. Also add the 2 crushed garlic cloves and diced chilli. Mix vigorously and toss in the pan (using a forward back motion). Don’t discard the pasta water.

5. If the mixture looks to oily (e.g. not emulsified and not sticking to pasta), then add another ladle of pasta water and continue stirring and mixing. If it looks too watery, continue to reduce over high heat. Can check sauce consistency by holding ingredients in one side of pan and tilting to see what liquid runs off.

6. Taste for seasoning and for whether pasta is al dente. Then turn off the heat once the sauce has desired consistency, add the chopped fresh parsley and serve.

7. Optionally: you can fry some prawns, garlic and chilli in butter in a separate pan, and then add the mix to the oil at the same time as you add the pasta. Emulsify and reduce in the same way.