Lemmings of the Light

Since my wife knows I've posted the chocolate cake recipe, she's insisting I share my house speciality - Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino.

Ingredients (serves 2)
Cooking time 10-15 mins

Spaghetti - roughly 400g dried pasta.
Oil (preferably olive oil, but make sure it's good for frying, not Extra Virgin, or it's going to taste VERY odd!)
3-4 cloves garlic (about a 1/4 of a bulb of garlic - white garlic preferred, but the normal purple-skinned variety is OK)
1 teaspoon crushed chili flakes (approx)
Tabasco
Salt
Pepper
Fresh (flat-leaf) parsley

Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. While waiting on the water coming to the boil, prepare the garlic (remove the top and bottom of the clove, and skin), and chop some parsley (about a tablespoon or so once chopped).

Put the spaghetti in to cook, and pour a good amount of olive oil into a large frying pan (roughly about 6-8 tablespoons full). Place the frying pan over a medium heat for about 30 seconds to warm the oil.

Crush the garlic into the oil. Leave it to cook (if you use a garlic press, then the gralic should start to colour up, and shrink towards the edges of the pan, leaving the middle of the pan clear (you'll know if you try this). If you're a "bash the garlic with the flat of the knife" person, then leave it in until the edges start to brown. You're going by sight and by smell hear - you want the garlic to start taking on a slightly earthy flavour and smell.

Once the garlic is cooked, remove the frying pan from the heat. Add in the crushed chili flakes, salt, pepper, and a dash of tabasco. Stir and leave for a few minutes whilst the pasta finishes cooking.

When the pasta is cooked, drain and put into the frying pan with the oil/sauce. Add the chopped parsley and toss the spaghetti ensuring that the sauce is well distributed.

Serve immediately with plenty of freshly ground black pepper.

Enjoy!

Gar