Real Aphrodisiacs for Valentine's
How to Make a Healthy Snack
McBites = Modern McNuggets?
Classic Valentine Dishes
How to Scrape a Vanilla Bean
Chocolate Beers for Valentine's
From the store to the kitchen to the table: We outline the steps that get you from something raw to something cooked using simple ingredients, free of measurements and complicated techniques. A method that you can have in your back pocket and whip out whenever you like. We call it recipe-free cooking.
- a pot
- a wooden spoon
- a timer
- a knife
- a ladle
- a small bowl or a heatproof measuring cup
- oven mitts
- a colander
- a one-pound box of spaghetti
- two to three medium garlic cloves
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- red chile flakes (optional)
- Parmesan cheese (optional)
Illustrations by Bill Russell
A squeeze of lemon juice or zest is nice also. My mother made this for me all the time as a child, it was my favorite. She always sauteed the garlic for a minute or two in the oil before adding the pasta and a little bit of the water. I like to serve it with broccolini for a simple meal or ramp it up a bit with some veal scallopini. And if you're adding cheese, might I suggest Locatelli Romano....+READ
A squeeze of lemon juice or zest is nice also. My mother made this for me all the time as a child, it was my favorite. She always sauteed the garlic for a minute or two in the oil before adding the pasta and a little bit of the water. I like to serve it with broccolini for a simple meal or ramp it up a bit with some veal scallopini. And if you're adding cheese, might I suggest Locatelli Romano. ;-)-COLLAPSE
Many thanks to the previous posters for this lively, passionate thread. It has entertained me on a bitter cold day where I'm stuck inside due to a foot of snow. Fortunately I have all of these pantry items and will be making this for dinner.
I won't disclose whether or not I'll be grating any cheese. But it has made me realize why world peace is so difficult.....
Do what you want, boys and girls, but if a recipe comes from a certain culture, you should at least try it as written. If you think it would be better with something added (like cheese), then do so, but try the original first. So there!
I thank my Italian ancestors for the basic idea of "Aglio e olio". But to me its as useful as the cavemans way of barbecuing....cook the meat on a spit and eat it plain.....no spice rub, herbs or marination. I like the way most Americans make "Aglio e olio"...... add the herbs, oil and yep.....lots of cheese atop! Its sooo much tastier...But thanks for the origination....we just elaborated!
HA HA HA HA!
Good thing you all don't live in France where the food police are a national institution.
Bisous!
hee hee so much for recipe-free cooking!!
Oh and of course
CRUDE == crudo == 'raw'
ops..double posting.
the "forum cheeses sauces" is the "four cheeses sauce"
I'm just reading Chow for fun but, as an Italian (i live in Rome) i cannot let you comments pass (as i dont' like the way recipes are presented step by step).However..
Too many people probably don't really know the real italian food because too many so-called "italian" restaurants are absolutely everything but italian.
So let's start:
1)This recipe is called "Aglio e olio". It's correct italian....+READ
I'm just reading Chow for fun but, as an Italian (i live in Rome) i cannot let you comments pass (as i dont' like the way recipes are presented step by step).However..
Too many people probably don't really know the real italian food because too many so-called "italian" restaurants are absolutely everything but italian.
So let's start:
1)This recipe is called "Aglio e olio". It's correct italian. But, because of its roman (the city not the empire) origin, this recipe is called "aglio, oglio e peperoncino" because in the roman (the city) dialect, olio becomes "oglio" and we DO NOT use normal pepper flakes but ONLY 2 or three entire chili peppers.
2)The oil in the water is absolutely prohibited in every receipt which involves pasta. It's a barbaric conviction that italian people puts oil in the water. (Someone told me that the real Tuscany recipes involved this strange thing: it's false).
3a)In this recipe it's absolutely incoherent and absurd to add cheese of every kind. If u want to add it then you're attending not an italian recipe but a nuclear experiment or an industrial chemical weapon..However...
3b)"Cheese is choice"..in the recipes in which you can put cheese on the pasta (this is not) is always the eater who decides tu put some parmigiano on it when it's served. there's only one kind of recipe (or recipes) in which you put cheese for every one and these are recipes based on sauces in which cheese is the principal ingredient (like the forum cheeses sauce).
4)The word "Linguini" doesn't exists. You can eat if u want "Linguine" or, better, "Fettuccine".
5)It's obvious that it's impossible to cook pasta and THEN prepare a good sauce and THEN have something eatable. There's no Lydia Bastianich practice in here, it's common sense. So start considering the "steps" of this recipe just as vague indications of the recipe itself
6)you DO NOT add salt to the pasta at the end unless it's strictly necessary. The salt you add is ALWAYS when you're boiling the water. There are two different schools in italy about that: some add salt when the water isnot boiling some others add salt when the water is boiling (and i think it's better like that because the salt expand uniformally).
7) THE FINAL RECEIPT is like that:
Put a great amount of water in a pot and start heating it. In the mean time prepare the garlic like you've seen in one of the steps, put two or three spoons of olive oil in the pan and add the garlic and the two or three (it depends on how hot u want it..better two or in certain cases one) chili peppers that you have just partially broken with your hands so to let their seed come out in the pan.
Heat at low-medium flame so to let the oil take the tase of the pepper and the garlic, you can measure the time just observing the peppers and the garlic. The garlic must be eventually gold and the peppers MUST nOT become black (not burned). For this reason the flame must not be high otherwise you burn ewveryting.
While this thing is happening your water is obviously boiling so you put your pasta in it, adjust the flame to medium-medium/low (it must not continue to boil forever) and then cook the pasta for an INFERIOR number of minutes respect of the minutes indicated on the package because the amount of minutes indicated on the package let the pasta to be "al dente" (at the tooth) that means not a mushy pasta and not a raw pasta.
So you have to cook it in the water an inferior amount of minutes (if u have 8 minustes on the package, you have to cook it for 6/7) because the other cooking minutes will be covered by the adding seasoning process and the serving process.
When your pasta is ready you can strain your pasta and put it on the pan (or put it back in the pot and add the pan content). DO NOT put any amount of the cooking water in the pan..this technique is used only with sauces (tomato,etc etc). In this case you do not have a sauce you have only a little amnount of fried oil that you're mixing with hot water. It's frobidden to do it while the water it's boiling and it's forbidden to do it now.
Now you're obviosulty mixing the pasta. And now you can add more crude olive oil (a good one i hope)..because this recipe is not based on fried oil: it will be a pain for your stomach and it will be unuseful. So you "fry" (heat si better) only a little amount of olive oil just to absorb the flavour in the oil..and then you add more CRUDE olive oil to expand this flavour to the whole pasta and let the dish be not a fatty bomb.
After adding more oil you're done..you can serve it with a little amount of dried herbs on it (parsley or sage) or wht some parts of the dried peppers you have previously used to add more colour.
VARIANT: You can add the dried herbs directly with the garlicg and the dried peppers just to add more colour..BUT remember to add a certain amount of it (not a mountain but not only a spoon..two or three spoons) because the will reach the whole pasta when you'll ad the oil in the end.
I hope you'll enjoy..i wrote too much maybe but the entire receipt takes 10 minutes straight and it's done when you don't want to cook. I'm not a cook..this how everyone cooks this dish here in rome since i was born.
Good eating-COLLAPSE
To AntarcticWidow: I am down with that about the garlic. You might try withholding one of two cloves and finely mince and add right before you serve the dish. Gives you two levels of garlic flavor: Your roasted flavor, which I also like, and the bright fresh flavor from the minced raw garlic. Keep Warm!
Wao! great comments in for this recipe. I love all the recommendations about not adding cheese, using butter if you are going to etc. I hate when certain recommendation sound more like they are coming from food nazis than anything else (specially since the name of the recipe would be more like garliky sauce than clasic italian pasta aglio e olio) but besides that i love reading all the points of...+READ
Wao! great comments in for this recipe. I love all the recommendations about not adding cheese, using butter if you are going to etc. I hate when certain recommendation sound more like they are coming from food nazis than anything else (specially since the name of the recipe would be more like garliky sauce than clasic italian pasta aglio e olio) but besides that i love reading all the points of view and i have learned a lot from the food nazis and the people that have given recommendations and opinions for this plate.-COLLAPSE
There is a small problem with the recipe. If you cook the pasta for the time listed on the box and follow the subsequent steps of the recipe, more often than not, you will have mushy pasta. Not to get too remedial, the pasta cooks by absorbing water. If you take the pasta out of the water 2 minutes before the box says it is done you will have better results for three reasons [common practice by...+READ
There is a small problem with the recipe. If you cook the pasta for the time listed on the box and follow the subsequent steps of the recipe, more often than not, you will have mushy pasta. Not to get too remedial, the pasta cooks by absorbing water. If you take the pasta out of the water 2 minutes before the box says it is done you will have better results for three reasons [common practice by Lydia Bastianich]. First, the water being absorbed into the pasta has a lot of flavor. Second, the pasta will not be overcooked and third, you can serve the pasta al dente knowing that it can be difficult to get everyone seated at the table; also, the pasta can continue to cook in the bowl to the individual’s preference.
Minor point, if you drag the pasta from the pot into the pan with the olive oil and garlic with tongs, you will have starchy pasta water added to the pasta by virtue of the cohesion/adhesion of pasta water on the noodle and if you want to make more for later comers you already have a pot of hot salted water. You can skip the step of reserving pasta water. One more thing, if you leave the garlic in bigger chunks, the sensitive folk can remove as they like from their serving.-COLLAPSE
For me, 2-3 cloves to a pound of spaghetti is not enough, 5-7 cloves is more like it. I put olive oil in the pan and add rough-chopped garlic to the pan then turn the flame on. I keep the fire slow enough so the garlic does not burn. I want it to get nice and soft, so I end up with more like roasted garlic. I start the garlic sauce about the same time I start up the water.
Sooo garlicky good,...+READ
For me, 2-3 cloves to a pound of spaghetti is not enough, 5-7 cloves is more like it. I put olive oil in the pan and add rough-chopped garlic to the pan then turn the flame on. I keep the fire slow enough so the garlic does not burn. I want it to get nice and soft, so I end up with more like roasted garlic. I start the garlic sauce about the same time I start up the water.
Sooo garlicky good, your co-workers will keep away from you for days ... :)-COLLAPSE
My Italian mother-in-law makes a similar dish, but she throws a few handfuls of uncooked broccoli into the pasta pot with about four minutes to go on the timer. Delicious.
Not to keep things going, but yes, you can put cheese on your pasta and then call it "spaghetti aglio e olio" (unless you are a chef in a restaurant kitchen and want to risk confusing your patrons), because it is YOUR pasta! My whole point was aimed at something higher than just this recipe, it was supposed to be a sort of talking point on how people who follow recipes to a "T" and always stick...+READ
Not to keep things going, but yes, you can put cheese on your pasta and then call it "spaghetti aglio e olio" (unless you are a chef in a restaurant kitchen and want to risk confusing your patrons), because it is YOUR pasta! My whole point was aimed at something higher than just this recipe, it was supposed to be a sort of talking point on how people who follow recipes to a "T" and always stick to making things their original way (if there is such a thing) might be missing out on what I feel is the biggest enjoyment of cooking, the creation process. Cooking should be art, because art is fun...not math and science, because math and science are not fun.-COLLAPSE
Thank you very much!
I think linney's argument is not that you can't put cheese on your pasta, but rather that you can't put cheese on your pasta and then call it "spaghetti aglio e olio."
For molave, I don't live in the Midwest and resent the personal venom. I live in Metro NY of Italian, Irish background and for what started as an opinion as to putting cheese on alio olio as turned into a crazy situation. I've had it with my first and last blog. I believe in live and let live; I thought the point of the blog was talking about food traditions. I gave you the traditional Italian...+READ
For molave, I don't live in the Midwest and resent the personal venom. I live in Metro NY of Italian, Irish background and for what started as an opinion as to putting cheese on alio olio as turned into a crazy situation. I've had it with my first and last blog. I believe in live and let live; I thought the point of the blog was talking about food traditions. I gave you the traditional Italian tradition of spaghetti aglio e olio; so much for friendly websites.-COLLAPSE
Changing a recipe to suit one's taste has nothing to do with respect for culture and tradition.
The Yanomami contributed their culinary tradition to the world, but should not feel slighted by how others reinterpret their original idea in the privacy of their own homes.
That's my entire, and only, point: live and let live. We ain't savages because we don't do it the classic Italian way.
I...+READ
Changing a recipe to suit one's taste has nothing to do with respect for culture and tradition.
The Yanomami contributed their culinary tradition to the world, but should not feel slighted by how others reinterpret their original idea in the privacy of their own homes.
That's my entire, and only, point: live and let live. We ain't savages because we don't do it the classic Italian way.
I will say no more.-COLLAPSE
Good. You have brought up respect for different people's traditions. Spaghetti aglio olio belongs to an Italian tradition, according to which parmigiano and garlic do not usually mix. The habit has nothing to do with American suburban rules or attitudes. I think the Italians' gastronomic traditions are worthy of at least the same respect given the Yanomani. And how would the Yanomani feel if an...+READ
Good. You have brought up respect for different people's traditions. Spaghetti aglio olio belongs to an Italian tradition, according to which parmigiano and garlic do not usually mix. The habit has nothing to do with American suburban rules or attitudes. I think the Italians' gastronomic traditions are worthy of at least the same respect given the Yanomani. And how would the Yanomani feel if an American said he enjoyed fresh grubs, but only with ketchup?
By all means put what you like on your spaghetti -- you need nobody's permission, of course. But know that the dish called, in Italian, spaghetti aglio e olio is, among the people who invented it, served without parmigiano.-COLLAPSE
You're right, in my country the Philippines, where the average daily wage is less than USD 5 per day, we often do not have access to "good fresh ingredients" as defined by Western standards. I'm so happy we have educated enlightened people like you to point such realities out to us.
For the record, "tasting right" is a relative and most subjective term. To Yanomami tribes living along the...+READ
You're right, in my country the Philippines, where the average daily wage is less than USD 5 per day, we often do not have access to "good fresh ingredients" as defined by Western standards. I'm so happy we have educated enlightened people like you to point such realities out to us.
For the record, "tasting right" is a relative and most subjective term. To Yanomami tribes living along the Amazon, fresh grubs grilled on open fires "taste right." To over 20 million Thailanders, rich and poor, the fermented sauce nam pla "tastes right." And to me, in my little neck of the woods, spaghetti with garlic and olive oil, if sprinkled with a little or a lot of cheese or wasabi or guava jelly or whatever I damn well please, tastes right.
From your comfortable Midwestern kitchen, please do not try to impose on me your sense of taste, your perception of gastronomic aesthetics, your regimented, straitjacketed, American suburban, Partridge Family rules of what's proper and what's not. Because you will never win.-COLLAPSE
once again, I find myself amused as my friends and family will tell you that "linney" doesn't really follow recipes" and lots of times I am unable to give an exact recipe to friends who ask and need to follow exact measurements, etc. However, spaghetti aglio olio just doesn't taste right with cheese and if you try it with the pure flavors of good extra virgin olive oil, red pepper flakes, fresh...+READ
once again, I find myself amused as my friends and family will tell you that "linney" doesn't really follow recipes" and lots of times I am unable to give an exact recipe to friends who ask and need to follow exact measurements, etc. However, spaghetti aglio olio just doesn't taste right with cheese and if you try it with the pure flavors of good extra virgin olive oil, red pepper flakes, fresh smashed or thinly sliced garlic (no jarred garlic (okay, start yelling)and good dry Italian imported pasta, you will see what I mean. By all means, put as much cheese as you want on other pasta. I guess I am spoiled by good tastes because I was brought up with an live in an area where good fresh ingredients are readily available.-COLLAPSE
I agree with dwillm. Some rules are important in cooking to ensure food safety, digestibility, and similar issues. The rest of it should be up to the cook and those they cook for. If I want my cheese on my pasta, by golly I will *have* my cheese on my pasta. No Roman, Frenchman, or Mongol has ever been in my kitchen. Why on Earth should I worry about what they'd think?
I personally would probably not add cheese to this exact dish, but that would be because of taste (as I agree that a butter/cheese paring is much more enjoyable) and not because I would be following the recipe to a T. I find myself in line with the Nigel Slater method of cooking, whereas a recipe is meant to be a basic guide to a dish and NOT an exacting play by play to be followed and fawned...+READ
I personally would probably not add cheese to this exact dish, but that would be because of taste (as I agree that a butter/cheese paring is much more enjoyable) and not because I would be following the recipe to a T. I find myself in line with the Nigel Slater method of cooking, whereas a recipe is meant to be a basic guide to a dish and NOT an exacting play by play to be followed and fawned over with religious zeal (probably not his exact words). The whole point of cooking is to get a result you are happy with, and if you enjoy cooking and food (as I am assuming we all do) then why not use those recipes in conjunction with your learned knowledge and taste preferences to achieve something that is yours?
Again, this is not about food preparation, but about flavors and cooking and recipes. The "rules" to follow involving preparation are obviously there for a reason (don't rise pasta after draining, for example) and this is why those of us who love cooking also love reading about cooking and learning about cooking. We just don't need to get rid of all the fun cooking offers by turning it into a math problem that can only be solved one way.-COLLAPSE
I agree with mbfant. I am not a food policeman and I usually don't follow exact recipes. But I know a lot about how to correctly prepare Italian food and learned mostly from people I grew up with, as well as relatives, trips to Italy and numerous Italian food shows, books, chefs, etc. I don't cook French food, but if I did, I would certainly follow the French recipies and I understand the French...+READ
I agree with mbfant. I am not a food policeman and I usually don't follow exact recipes. But I know a lot about how to correctly prepare Italian food and learned mostly from people I grew up with, as well as relatives, trips to Italy and numerous Italian food shows, books, chefs, etc. I don't cook French food, but if I did, I would certainly follow the French recipies and I understand the French don't deviate from rigid rules.-COLLAPSE
Well I'm no expert so I didn't know the rule about no garlic and cheese together. I'm properly embarrassed by my post now. Next time I make my favorite dish I will refrain from making this terrible faux pas.
Garlic-with-parmigiano lovers may certainly do as they like without the permission of the food police. But the dish in question, spaghetti aglio olio, is not eaten that way either in its native land or in the world by people who respect Italian food. When I first moved to Italy, I resisted the various prescriptions, rules, etc., until I gradually realized that the Italians were almost always...+READ
Garlic-with-parmigiano lovers may certainly do as they like without the permission of the food police. But the dish in question, spaghetti aglio olio, is not eaten that way either in its native land or in the world by people who respect Italian food. When I first moved to Italy, I resisted the various prescriptions, rules, etc., until I gradually realized that the Italians were almost always right and deserving of the benefit of any lingering doubt.-COLLAPSE
I say again, no grated cheese with garlic spaghetti; if you like cheese, then boil spaghetti or linguini, reserve a little pasta water, drain and add a stick of unsalted butter (to a pound) and mix well and then throw in a good hand of granted pecorino cheese and melt through (off heat) adding a little of the pasta water if needed. Add plenty of fresh black pepper. This is a fast, excellent Roman...+READ
I say again, no grated cheese with garlic spaghetti; if you like cheese, then boil spaghetti or linguini, reserve a little pasta water, drain and add a stick of unsalted butter (to a pound) and mix well and then throw in a good hand of granted pecorino cheese and melt through (off heat) adding a little of the pasta water if needed. Add plenty of fresh black pepper. This is a fast, excellent Roman dish utilizing butter and cheese, no garlic or oil.-COLLAPSE
right on dwillm!
Why does everybody continue to hold onto these strict old traditions of cooking all the time? No cheese for this dish or that dish? Give me a break! How about if you like cheese put it on the pasta, if you like anchovies add them, if you like a ton of garlic, add a ton of garlic. Recipes and traditions with cooking are to be followed only as far as the cook wants them to be, after all you are the...+READ
Why does everybody continue to hold onto these strict old traditions of cooking all the time? No cheese for this dish or that dish? Give me a break! How about if you like cheese put it on the pasta, if you like anchovies add them, if you like a ton of garlic, add a ton of garlic. Recipes and traditions with cooking are to be followed only as far as the cook wants them to be, after all you are the one going to eat it right?
I will say that there is a big difference with stating that you can never add cheese to this recipe and saying not to add oil to the pasta water. I think this is what all cooks should be looking for, good advice on how to make things better (as big a pan for water as you can get, don't add oil, tons of salt, etc) as opposed to others telling you what to put in your recipe.-COLLAPSE
Linney has it right. In Italy parmigiano would be anathema in this dish. I would add: no black pepper on top of red.
Here is a variation for die-hard cheese lovers. In a large frying pan, put a crushed, peeled garlic clove in some oil, add a small dried red pepper, broken in half, and some oil-packed anchovy fillets. While the pasta cooks, sauté the anchovy and garlic very, very gently until the...+READ
Linney has it right. In Italy parmigiano would be anathema in this dish. I would add: no black pepper on top of red.
Here is a variation for die-hard cheese lovers. In a large frying pan, put a crushed, peeled garlic clove in some oil, add a small dried red pepper, broken in half, and some oil-packed anchovy fillets. While the pasta cooks, sauté the anchovy and garlic very, very gently until the garlic is tender and the anchovies disintegrate. Proper cooks at this point discard the garlic and pepper. Lift the spaghetti, al dente and still dripping, out of the water into the pan, and stir it around the anchovy oil until it is coated. Add a handful of freshly grated imported pecorino romano cheese, not parmigiano. Stir in a little pasta water if desired just to get things moving, but don't overdo it.-COLLAPSE
You never add oil to the water and you never add cheese to this pasta. Believe me, I learned from experts and make it all the time.
Use the best extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic and fresh pepper flakes and use plenty of rolling salted boiling water. Cook the pasta for 8 minutes and add to oil mix after draining and cook 30 seconds more. Don't let garlic brown or it will turn rancid. The...+READ
You never add oil to the water and you never add cheese to this pasta. Believe me, I learned from experts and make it all the time.
Use the best extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic and fresh pepper flakes and use plenty of rolling salted boiling water. Cook the pasta for 8 minutes and add to oil mix after draining and cook 30 seconds more. Don't let garlic brown or it will turn rancid. The trick is to add the oil and garlic to a cool pan and then heat slowly. By the time the pasta cooks, the sauce will be ready.-COLLAPSE
I like to add a tin of anchovies (or anchovy paste) to the garlic, olive oil and chile flakes. Let it cook down till the they melt together and the anchovies have a nice nutty flavor. Then I toss the cooked pasta w/ grated parm and fresh chopped parsley.
true true LadyCook61.
I think the garlic should be smashed before peeling it.
Because then all of your flavorings wont stick to it.
Why not add oil to the water?