A simple yet delicious pasta!

I know a whole lot of people who have an aversion towards cooking ( I was one of them). Many think making a good meal takes a lot of time and energy, a massive grocery list and good culinary skills. Let me tell you, this aglio olio pasta comes together in 10 minutes. . It takes no special ingredients. As the name suggested, it’s made with garlic (aglio) and oil (olio). Spaghetti Olio e Aglio (literally) is a delicious, elegant, fast and versatile dish that you can dress up however you please. It is one of the most basic and easiest Italian recipes.. If you have spaghetti, garlic, salt, and olive oil, you can make this pasta RIGHT NOW!

But, wait! That’s not all. While the basic spaghetti aglio e olio is already perfect by itself, you can also treat it as a base for other variations. To the basic pasta dish, you can add cooked shrimp, mussels, or chicken like I have.

For the pasta

All you need is:

500 gms of Soba noodles/ whole wheat spaghetti
1/3 cup olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
1 cup of cut olives ( optional)

Method:

In a pot of salted boiling water, cook the spaghetti (about 1 minute less than the package directs). Reserve pasta cooking water.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, combine 1/3 cup olive oil and garlic. Add pinch of red pepper flakes, if using. Cook over medium heat until garlic is very lightly golden, about 5 minutes. (Adjust heat as necessary to keep it gently sizzling.)
Transfer pasta to skillet along with 1/2 cup pasta water, increase heat to high, and cook, stirring and tossing rapidly, until a creamy, emulsified sauce forms and coats the noodles. Remove from heat, add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and stir well to combine. Mix in olives, if using, and serve right away.

For the chicken:

All you need is: