Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (garlic & olive oil sauce)

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Spaghetti Aglio E Olio is a pasta dish from Naples, Italy. It's a humble dish, yet it's also quite luxurious.

I don't always add mushrooms, but they were a tasty addition this time.

An important part of properly prepared aglio e olio is to cook your pasta until "al dente"

Al dente describes pasta that should still be firm when bitten. The term means "to the tooth" in Italian. 

When my friend Antonio was visiting he made this dish for me. He is from Ischia, an island off of Naples. He too is a chef and he gave me a different perspective of what properly cooked "al dente"  pasta means to a Neapolitan. I'm pretty sure most of us in North America would just think " it's under cooked", because that was my first impression when I took a taste. (I would have bet money that my version of al dente was the correct version) But then he started explaining this regional preference, and as I was munching away I  started to appreciate the toothsome-ness of the spaghetti I was eating. Don't worry though, this meal will be delicious weather or not you shave a minute or two off your typical pasta cooking time.  

Recipe

Serves 2

Aglio E Olio Ingredients:

• 225 g dried spaghetti
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• pinch chile flakes (optional)

If Adding Mushrooms:

• 227 g package of mushrooms, sliced. 
• a glug of veg oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• squeeze lemon

Method:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil while you prepare rest of ingredients. Using a good amount of salt is important to season the pasta as it cooks. 
2. While water is coming to a boil sautee your mushrooms in a bit of oil. Season with s + p and a squeeze of lemon. Set aside
3. In another pan heat olive oil then add garlic (and a pinch of chile flakes if desired) and cook a couple minutes, stirring frequently, until just starting to turn golden. Set aside while you cook the spaghetti.
4. Add spaghetti to boiling water. Cook for 6 minutes.
5. Put your pan with garlic and oil back on the heat and using a pair of tongs, add spaghetti to the pan. Use a 4 oz ladle to add some of the pasta cooking water to the pan. Add Sauteed mushrooms. 
6. Now your pasta will absorb water to finish cooking and the mushrooms will heat through. Season with S + P and taste. You might need to add a bit more pasta water if the noodles aren't cooked by the time the water has mostly been absorbed. (I ended up adding another 2 oz) You don't want the spaghetti to taste dry. 
7. Add chopped parsley towards the end along with another swirl of olive oil if desired. Plate it up, garnish with more parsley, and even some nutritional yeast or vegan Parmesan if you are feeling it. Also, If there is any garlicky oil left in the bottom of your saute pan, get yourself some warm toasty bread and soak all of it up and eat that too.