Spaghetti with Garlic and Parsley, Simple Italian

In the heat of summer, simple meals are essential.  Served hot, warm or even cold Spaghetti with Garlic and Parsley is simple Italian at it’s best. 

At it’s core Italian cuisine is purity and humility.  This is one of my favorite easy pastas.  Essentially, it’s four ingredients: a quality pasta, a good olive oil, parsley and garlic plus a bit of salt and pepper.  That’s it.  Each ingredient stands out and compliments the other.

Served as a side to a grilled piece of chicken or fish or with our Turkey Meatballs & Rapini, as a starter, or secando before the main.   So simple, it’s a true classic of cuisine.  And really, you can never go wrong with a classic.  Simple food done well, that’s the secret to great cuisine.

Gypsy tip for perfect pasta every time: before draining your pasta reserve a cup of the pasta water from the pot.   That little bit of salt and semolina makes the perfect moisture to finish your pasta.  This way you can cook your pasta well ahead, and reheat without reducing your sauce too much.  The water will quickly stream your pasta, and in this case – working with just oil, garlic and parsley, the water will create a sauce with almost no effort.

Simplicity. 

Spaghetti with Garlic and Parsley

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 – 6 servings

1/2 pound spaghetti
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 – 8 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped fine
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1) Boil your salted water (about 4 quarts/liters and 2 tablespoons of kosher salt) and chop garlic & parsley.

2) Once water has come to a solid boil, add your pasta and cook to just al dente.  Reserve about a half a cup of pasta water before draining and rinsing your pasta well, then reserve pasta at room temperature.

3) Return empty pot to the stove over medium heat, add olive oil and garlic and cook, stirring as needed, for about 3 to 4 minutes until garlic begins to brown.  Stir in parsley and red pepper flakes and remove from heat, add pasta and about a 1/4 cup, or more if needed, of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce, and toss pasta to coat & steam.

Serve immediately, curling pasta on to plates or bowls with tongs or a carving fork. Finish Spaghetti with Garlic & Parsley with a measure of fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and tuck in.