Pasta Aglio e Olio

I have been so obsessed with a new YouTube channel I found called Binging with Babish. Have you seen it? Are you also obsessed? Are you also a fan of Frasier?

Even though I'm vegetarian, and a lot of the dishes he makes are meat-centric, I can't help but watch in a trance-like state. I love watching people cook in general, but I'm especially in love with this channel. It's stylish, and funny, and everything he makes looks so good...well maybe not the Milk Steak, but everything else...okay, maybe not the Grilled Charlie...you know what? Maybe just stay away from any foods thought up by the Always Sunny team 😩.

Anyway, he recreates the Pasta Aglio e Olio from the movie Chef with John Favreau and I thought "YES!!! Something I can make!"

Was it as good as it looked?

Yes.

Should you make it?

Also yes.

I just made a couple of changes to it - adding zucchini noodles, mainly because I wanted to try out my new Veggetti (so excited!), and reduced the amount of olive oil I used, because weight loss reason. So good, and I already want to make it again.

Let's get started!

Getting Started

The really wonderful thing about this recipe is that it's amazingly flavorful and delicious, but also super easy to make. There aren't a lot of ingredients, and it really doesn't take that long to put together. Talk about win-win.

Start by bringing your pasta water to a boil. While it's heating up, take the time to get all of your ingredients chopped, diced, measured, spiralized etc. Once your garlic starts to brown, you'll need to be able to do the rest of the steps very quickly to prevent it from burning, so you don't want to be chopping up parsley at the last minute.

Side note about the spiralized zucchini noodles, or "zoodles" as I've seen them referred: If you don't have a Veggetti or other type of vegetable spiralizer, you can simply cut the zucchini into noodle sized strips. This was my first time using my spiralizer, so I wasn't quite sure what to do. I ended up using the side that cuts the noodles more thinly, but would recommend using the thick side. I made the recipe again later and the thicker zoodles were better, and more visible. Also, make sure to cut the noodle strands every now and then; otherwise you will end up with several really long noodles that don't mix into the regular pasta well at all. And, if you don't want to deal with the zoodles, it won't hurt my feelings; you can leave it out of the recipe entirely if desired, and it will still be delicious. If you decide to do that, just add more pasta.

Okay, once your pasta water is boiling, add salt - a couple of generous pinches - and then your pasta. I used a new brand, Delverde Bucatini No 6. OH MY GOD. I will never use another brand of pasta. It was so yummy and reminded me very much of the pasta I had in Italy. I highly recommend.

At the same time you put your pasta in, start heating up your olive oil in a large skillet. Once hot, add your thinly sliced garlic and stir around until just turning golden. Add your red pepper flakes and cook a little longer. Be careful not to burn it! At this point you may think you've died and gone to heaven, because heaven probably smells like sauteed garlic.

Your pasta should now be ready to drain and add to the garlic and oil. Reserve a bit of the cooking liquid to add back in. Also add in your zoodles, and saute everything together for a minute or two. Finally add in your parsley and lemon juice.

Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately. Top with a vegetarian Parmesan cheese if you can find it, and enjoy!

Ingredients

8 oz uncooked pasta (ccok according to package directions)
2 medium zucchinis, spiralized
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/3 cup olive oil
8 medium/large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Juice from one lemon
3-4 Tbs cooking liquid from pasta

Servings: 4...or 1 if you can't stop eating it.


In need of an appetizer? How about some Roasted Tomato Crostini with Pesto and Red Pepper Hummus?

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