FASTA PASTA

Let's face it. There are some nights you just don't feel like cooking. Or even shopping for dinner. I'm with you! When I feel like that, and it's quite often, I go to my pantry and fridge and pull out staples, which I always have sitting on the shelves. For example, we are never without dried pasta - all shapes and sizes. Spaghetti, linguine, penne for sure. I always, always have virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, dried chilli flakes and anchovies, good Parmesan and fresh parsley. Ecco! Deliziosa Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (here with optional anchovies added) and a nice glass of Vino Rosso to go with it coming up.

Basta!

INGREDIENTS Serves 4

500g spaghetti or linguine for this recipe

Sea salt or kosher salt

1/3 cup good olive oil

8 large garlic cloves, peeled and cut into thin slices

1/2 - 1 tsp crushed chilli (red pepper) flakes

6 anchovies in oil (optional)

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano

(Don't buy that stuff in packets - not even sure if that's cheese!)

METHOD

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil. Add your pasta and cook to packet instruction to achieve al dente (still firm but cooked through) pasta.

In a heavy frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the garlic and chilli. When the garlic becomes fragrant and coloured slightly, add the anchovies and mash them into the oil if you're using them.

Reserve one cup of the pasta water and drain the rest. Some people like to rinse their cooked pasta in fresh water. I prefer to retain the starchiness and I don't rinse. But it's up to you.

Add your cooked, drained pasta to the frying pan and swirl it around the oily mixture. Add a little of the reserved pasta water and keep adding until you have pasta that's thoroughly coated in the oily mixture.

Take the pasta off the heat, add the minced parsley and toss.

Serve in pasta bowls, adding a generous amount of freshly grated Parmesan to each bowl.

That's it...Easy as torta!