servings: 4

Ingredients:

Kosher salt

1 pound dried spaghetti

1/3 cup good olive oil

4 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½ cup minced fresh parsley

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Method:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt and the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package. Set aside 1½ cups of the pasta cooking water before you drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a pot large enough to hold the pasta, such as a 12-inch saute pan or a large, shallow pot.

Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until it just begins to turn golden on the edges – be careful not to overcook it.

Add the red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds more.

Carefully add the reserved pasta-cooking water to the garlic and oil and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by about a third.

Add the drained pasta to the garlic sauce and toss. Off the heat, add the parsley and Parmesan and toss well.

Allow the pasta to rest off the heat for 5 minutes for the sauce to be absorbed. Taste for seasoning and serve warm with extra Parmesan on the side.

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa “How Easy is That?”