Pasta for Breath Only a Mother Could Love

Holy carbs!!! I feel like I've been eating pasta left and right lately--I don't think I mentioned that my husband made baked ziti the other night when I worked?!?! I can't help it...pasta is one of those things that I CONSTANTLY crave! As mentioned in a previous post, I've been trying to find recipes that will reheat well, so I have lunches for the week. Both of my kids have been sick, so they've been especially "needy/clingy", which has made it even more difficult to find time to grab a bite to eat. This is another recipe that I found in one of my Mom's cookbooks. The cookbook was called "Behind Every Great Chef, There's a Mom" and it featured signature recipes of many famous chefs' Moms--a pretty neat concept! This particular recipe is from Rocco DiSpirito's Mom. Within the description, she refers to this dish as "a perfect dish to serve when friends stop by unannounced--even when it seemed as if there was nothing in the house to cook!". It was incredibly easy (it took all of maybe 10 minutes) and all of the ingredients are those which most people would have on hand. The only suggestion I would make is to sprinkle Parmesan cheese on the pasta before serving--I felt like it needed just a little "something".

Pasta for Breath Only a Mother Could Love

Salt
1 pound spaghettini
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 to 8 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper

Bring a 6 quart pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of salt and the pasta and stir well. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes.

While the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden brown, taking care not to let the garlic get too dark, about 2 minutes. When the garlic is light brown, add the parsley and red pepper flakes.

Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet. Toss, season with salt and pepper and serve right away in warm bowls.

Source: Behind Every Great Chef, There's a Mom! (Nicolina DiSpirito)