Pasta Aglio e Olio

package pasta (I used fresh spinach pappardelle)

1/2

– 3/4 cup olive oil

garlic cloves, peeled, and thinly sliced

teaspoons red pepper flakes

tablespoons chopped parsley

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2

cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

lemon wedges (optional)

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1

Bring a large pan with salted water to a boil.
2

Cook the pasta in the salted water, following the package instructions.
3

While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a frying pan, and fry the garlic slices for a couple minutes. Turn off the heat as soon as they turn slightly golden, because they burn easily.
4

Drain the pasta, add the oil and garlic, pepper flakes, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
5

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if using, and drizzle some lemon juice on top of it as well, if desired.

This pasta is easily adjustable: you can use any kind of pepper, add chopped tomatoes, chopped olives, or a different herb to the preparation. I often use cayenne pepper instead of red chili flakes for the spicy touch.
The lemon in this recipe is my addition, and not part of the original dish. You can leave it out, or use limes instead. By adding lemon you can use less oil, as the lemon will add moisture to the dish as well.

Nutrition Information

No nutrition information available for this recipe

More About This Recipe

With people's busy lifestyles these days, finding foods that are quick and convenient is a priority in everyone's list. Even if you love cooking, who has the time to spend hours in the kitchen anymore? Latinos like me, however, grew up watching our mothers and grandmothers cooking everything from scratch, so we don't get disheartened when it comes to preparing food on a time and money budget. There are many ways to prepare economical and quick home-cooked meals, and one of them is finding recipes with 5 ingredients or less. This pasta aglio e olio (with garlic and oil) is one of the simplest recipes I know, and one of my personal favorites. My dad ate it all the time when I was a little girl, and even though I wasn't crazy about it back then, I eventually learned to appreciate the simplicity of the crispy garlic and some good quality olive oil. And even more so, I learned to enjoy how easy it is to make!