Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio is Italian for "spaghetti with garlic and oil." (If you go to Google Translate, you can type that in and listen to the correct pronunciation. All I will say is that I was no where NEAR pronouncing it correctly, haha!) The cookbook suggests that if you want more than just the spaghetti, to add some roasted shrimp and broccoli to the pasta, which is what I decided to do.

 Mmm yummy shrimp and broccoli roasting on the stove.

 I wanted to get a picture of just the spaghetti since that is just what the original recipe is for.

The final product!

What a wonderfully simple and delicious meal! I am a huge fan of both garlic and olive oil, so I completely fell in love with this spaghetti. The red pepper flakes added a fantastic dynamic to everything. It doesn't take much red pepper flakes to get some heat going! 

I am really happy that I decided to add the shrimp and broccoli. While the spaghetti was delicious on its own, it was good to have a little more than just the noodles. The recipe doesn't include the preparation of the shrimp and broccoli, so what I did was just toss the shrimp in some olive oil and then once they finished cooking, add the broccoli florets and let them roast until they were cooked. I then added the shrimp and broccoli to the pasta at the very end after I had finished mixing everything together for the spaghetti. The shrimp and broccoli paired perfectly with the flavors the spaghetti already had going on.

Enjoy!

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That?

Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers in 2010.

Yield: 4 servings

Kosher salt

1 pound dried spaghetti

1/3 cup good olive oil

8 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

shrimp and broccoli florets, if desired

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt and the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water before you drain the pasta.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a pot large enough to hold the pasta, such as a 12-inch saute pan or a large, shallow pot. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until it just begins to turn golden on the edges - don't overcook it! Add the red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds more. Carefully add the reserved pasta-cooking water to the garlic and oil and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by about a third.

2a. During this step is when I roasted my shrimp and broccoli. 

3. Add the drained pasta to the garlic sauce and toss. Off the heat, add the parsley and Parmesan and toss well. Allow the pasta to rest off the heat for 5 minutes for the sauce to be absorbed. (Add the cooked shrimp and broccoli: toss.)Taste for seasoning and serve warm with extra Parmesan on the side.