Is there anything more satisfying than a cheesy, glossy, spicy pasta when you’ve been snowed in your apartment for several days? No. And if there is such a thing, I poorly planned and stocked my kitchen to make it. The last few weeks of the year – the utopian holiday bubble paired with bright eyed hope for the new year – are always a bit much to navigate, so let’s be kind to ourselves with food.
A few things about this dish – add what you want, omit what you don’t want. I prefer to use bucatini because the little straws filled with sauce are one of my favorite things. While this dish is best with a long noodle pasta shape, I think this would also be good with shells or elbows, really anything with good forkability. I made this two nights in a row using bucatini for the first night – and the photo – and orecchiette for the second night. Both great. While there are measurements below, measure everything how you’d like, if you want it saucier, add more oil, less garlic-y use less gloves, take out the red pepper flakes if you don’t want spice. Live your most authentic life.
Enough rambling – to the pasta!
Bucatini Aglio E Olio
Ingredients
1 pound package bucatini, or other pasta shape of choice
kosher salt and black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
8-10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 anchovy filets
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup minced parsley
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 lemon, zested
Instructions
In a large pot, bring water to a boil and season generously with salt (1/4 cup of salt for 6 quarts of water). When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente based on package instructions.
While the pasta is cooking, add the 1/3 cup oil to a saute pan or shallow dutch oven and turn on to medium heat. When the oil easily glides across the pan, add in the thinly sliced garlic, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and slightly tan in color. Add in the anchovy filets and continue to stir until dissolved – about 1-2 minutes. Add in the red pepper flakes and parsley, stirring until everything is well combined.
Using tongs or a pasta spoon, add your pasta to the sauce and continuously stir to combine. In two batches, add half of the parmesan cheese to the pasta and stir everything together to make a glossy sauce, adding in the water your pasta cooked in a few tablespoons at a time if needed to thin the sauce.
Once everything is combined, serve the pasta and top with the other half of the grated parm and lemon zest.
Happy Eating!
Kelly
