Garlic in the Limelight
Spaghetti Tossed with Roasted Garlic, Chili, and Olive Oil
35 minutes
Serves 4
DinnerItalianVegetarianGluten-free
Herb's take
Aglio e Olio is the James Brown of the pasta world: all groove, no filler, and it doesn’t need a backup band. You’ll roast garlic until it’s creamy and mellow, learning the dark art of coaxing maximum flavor from minimal ingredients.
Ingredients
Yield
4
Instructions
- 01Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). Slice the top off the head of garlic to expose the cloves, drizzle with 2 teaspoons olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast for 30 minutes until golden and soft.
- 02When the garlic has 10 minutes left, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until just shy of al dente, about 8 minutes.
- 03While the pasta cooks, heat 1/3 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sliced garlic and chili flakes; cook gently, swirling, until the garlic is just pale gold, about 2 minutes.
- 04Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and mash them to a paste. Stir into the skillet, letting them infuse the oil for 1 minute.
- 05Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain spaghetti. Add it to the skillet, tossing well to coat in garlicky oil. Splash in 1/2 cup reserved water and keep tossing until the sauce lightly clings to the noodles.
- 06Off heat, add parsley and lemon zest. Toss again and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- 07Divide among plates and serve immediately, with extra parsley if desired.
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