The delicious simplicity of pasta aglio e olio (Pasta with garlic and oil)

When I was 17, a friend suggested we go to her favourite Italian restaurant for lunch. I didn't have a job so I asked my dad for a little money. He usually gave me some but not a lot.

When we got to this Italian restaurant, I found the menu to be over my budget. One of the least expensive items on the menu was pasta with olive oil and garlic. I chose that of course. It didn't concern me if it was a great dish or not. I just wanted to be out with a friend acting like an adult in a proper restaurant with lots of people in it.

We were not able to have a glass of wine like the adults but that was okay. We had good conversation like the adults. The place was always packed with a great vibe and atmosphere. I felt like I could know what Italy was like just by being in there.

When the pasta got to the table, I had a taste. The garlicky flavour with some crushed chilies took me to a place I never thought I would go, when I ordered it. How could I love something so simple.

Today I made this dish for the same reasons that I ordered it years ago. We don't have enough money to buy groceries today. The fridge has a few leftover items.

Fortunately We were given a large package of pasta yesterday, from Marc's mother. We went to visit and as usual they send us home with items that they buy in bulk.

One thing I usually buy an abundance of, is garlic.I had quite a bit left. What a perfect lunch it would be. We can eat tasty food on a low budget.

Traditionally this is a dish that originates from Naples they say. It's basic ingredients are olive oil, garlic and pasta. There is the option to add herbs such as parsley. I added fresh thyme, basil and dried oregano.

This was considered peasant food. It would be a simple dish not requiring many expensive ingredients. For this reason they would not use cheese. I'm pretty sure that over the years cheese would have been added to this. I don't eat dairy so I'll just say this is the absolute traditional peasant version with added herbs. Normally lemon would not be added but I gave a squirt because I just like it.

The size of the garlic would depend on personal taste. I sometimes use my garlic press but I just chopped it with a knife. It was minced roughly.

I added chopped parsley which I still had in the fridge from last week. Parsley lasts for quite a while. The stems are perfect to chop for this dish but I used all of it.

When cooking this dish, you must time everything properly. I like to heat a pan with oil on low, so it's warm. This is happening while the pasta water is coming to a boil. I used less oil then traditionally used. The oil is the sauce, so in the traditional dish they would use quite a bit. My waistline can't afford to consume that much fat right now. It was a good amount nevertheless.

Make sure you salt the water well, when it's coming to a boil. After adding the pasta, turn the oiled pan up a little more, to medium.

The garlic should cook until almost golden but not brown. This should be controlled with the heat going up or down depending on your stove.

When the garlic is cooked, you can add the herbs and seasonings. This is when I added a tablespoon of lemon juice.

The pasta I used was spaghettini which is quite thin. I cooked it until it was almost al dente the way I like it. It was around 4 minutes. If I used a thicker pasta and more oil, I would have left it in longer in the water.

Add a cup of pasta water to the oil. Don't drain the pasta. Remove the pasta from the water with tongs or a pasta scooping utensil.

Add the pasta to the garlic oil sauce, and add more pasta cooking water to it, if it isn't cooked enough. I don't like my pasta over cooked so I added the water a little at a time.

When the water is absorbed and the oil and garlic sauce is thicker, it should be ready.

Season the pasta before plating, and tear up fresh basil leaves at the end. If you chop the basil on a cutting board, you'll lose some of the flavour. It won't be wrong to do that in my opinion, but with this dish, I wanted optimum basil flavor. I love basil.

Pasta aglio e olio
450g pasta
50g garlic
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to your liking

Optional ingredients
20g parsley
1 teaspoon thyme
10g fresh basil
1 tablespoon lemon juice (or zest)
1/8 cup white wine
Chili flakes
Cheese

I didn't use wine, or even vegan cheese which I could have, and I used only 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Using this little oil is taking away from the traditional experience of this dish but for me it's great anyway. I love the garlic flavor and the fresh herbs and chili really dresses it up.

While you saute the garlic and parsley you can add crushed chilies if you like. I just sprinkled them on at the end.

If you have friends coming for dinner and you don't want them to know you're broke, you could whip this up with a little salad and they'll never know.

Just hope that they bring the wine!

Thanks for dropping by and have a great day.

^{design by: @KidSisters}

Photos taken with a Nikon D7500 by me except for the ones of me, taken by my other half