I made this tonight to go with some salmon and little trees (broccoli) for dinner with Brother Pius here in the rectory. This is a good, quick side dish with any kind of meat or fish. But it also works well as a main course with just a salad (think Friday meatless meals). You can, and certainly should, adjust the seasoning according to your tastes. Brother Pius doesn’t like food too spicy, so I went easy on the crushed red pepper, and it was delicious. If it were just me, I probably would have added more.
You can really make this with any kind of pasta, which is true of a lot of pasta dishes. But I like this one with a “stringy” pasta, like fettucine or spaghetti, or perhaps a nice bucatini.
Fettucine Aglio e Olio
Notes
So I just used 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper because my confreres don't like things too spicy. If I was making this for me, I'd have used more. If I were making it for my mother, I would have used none at all. So you do you!
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound fettucine pasta
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional, see note)
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
Instructions
- Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a dutch oven, add salt. Add pasta and cook to al dente according to package directions, about 10 minutes. Set aside 1 cup of pasta water and drain the pasta. Put the dutch oven back on the stove over medium heat and add the olive oil. Heat for a minute or two then add the garlic and stir. Stir frequently for a couple of minutes, just until the garlic starts to brown. Add 1/3 cup of pasta water, black and red pepper (if using), and bring to a boil. Let the mixture reduce by about 1/3, then add the pasta back in and toss in the sauce. Add the parmesan cheese. Taste and correct the seasonings, adding salt if necessary. If sauce is too thick, add a bit more of the pasta water. Transfer to serving bowl and sprinkle with more parmesan cheese.
