I've been trying to develop (or ressurect) more weeknight recipes to turn the tide against my current default of ordering out after a long day at work. As part of these efforts, I've made two fairly simple pasta recipes this past month that forgo the standard can of tomatoes.
The first pasta meal, based on Cook's Illustrated's Aglio e Olio recipe, relies on just a handful of ingredients, and the cooking is basically sauteeing garlic, chili flakes and fresh herbs (parsley) in olive oil, boiling pasta, and tossing these components together with lemon juice, and parmesan or pecorino cheese if you wish.
The two critical ingredients to making this dish a standout success are the lemon juice, which definitely freshens the dish and makes the flavors more complex, and the fresh garlic to really accentuate the cooked garlic. The modified recipe appears below the picture.
Aglio e Olio
Ingredients:
- 6 cloves garlic, minced and divided
- 3 tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 2 tsp. dried red chili flakes (to taste)
- 2 tbsp. fresh parsley leaves, minced
- 1 - 2 tsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 lb. pasta, I've used fettucine and spaghetti
- salt
- black pepper
- parmesan or pecorino cheese, grated, optional
Directions:
- Bring salted water to a boil, and cook pasta according to pasta directions. Retain 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water after draining the cooked pasta.
- While water is being heated, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in saucepan. When hot, add 4 of the minced garlic cloves and saute with a pinch of salt until garlic becomes very lightly browned. Then add parsley, chili flakes, lemon juice, and 1/2 tsp. salt, turning off heat.
- Add sauce, remaining fresh garlic and 1 tbsp. olive oil to the cooked pasta, and starting with 1 tbsp. pasta water, combine ingredients. If the pasta is too dry, add more pasta water 1 tsbp. at a time.
- Add additional salt and/or parmesan or pecorino cheese to taste and serve immediately.
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The second weeknight pasta recipe is a seasonal recipe to use the huge supplies of local fresh tomatoes in late summer.
It's basically the same recipe as above, but with slightly longer cooking time to break down fresh tomatoes into a rustic sauce.
Summertime Fresh Tomato and Garlic Pasta
Ingredients:
- 1/4 lb. pasta (I used angel hair, and probably more pasta than I had sauce for in my first attempt)
- 1.5 cups grape tomatoes, halved
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. parsley, chopped
- 3/4 tsp. lemon juice
- crushed red pepper
- salt
Directions:
- Bring salted water to a boil, and cook pasta according to pasta directions. Retain 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water after draining the cooked pasta.
- While water is being heated, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in saucepan. When hot, add 4 of the minced garlic cloves and saute with a pinch of salt for 2 minutes or until garlic becomes fragrant
- Then add the tomatoes, sauteeing for 12 - 15 minutes or until the tomatoes cook down into a chunky, bright sauce.
- Add parsley, chili flakes, lemon juice, and 1/2 tsp. salt, cooking sauce for another minute.
- Add sauce and remaining fresh garlic to the cooked pasta, and starting with 1 tbsp. pasta water, combine ingredients. If the pasta is too dry, add more pasta water 1 tsbp. at a time.
- Add additional salt and/or parmesan or pecorino cheese to taste and serve immediately.
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