This pasta is glossy, cheesy and amazing. A really simple dish and the results are so good with really simple pantry ingredients. This simple pasta recipe tastes anything but basic when tossed with roasted garlic. Top with Parmesan and fresh herbs, and you’ve got dinner that the whole family will enjoy together.

The strength and the pungency of raw garlic are completely transformed in the roasting process. The hard, white-ish cloves of garlic turn a dark, amber color, and transform into a gooey, soft, paste-like texture. Start off with making your garlic oil, add oil to a pot then add in the finely sliced garlic and gently heat the oil up so the garlic starts to sizzle and releases its flavor into the oil.

Once you start to see the beautiful golden color on the edges of the garlic cloves, remove from heat and let it sit and cool down. For the pasta, boil water then adds salt band than in goes the pasta and cook the pasta according to the package instructions and you really want ba nice al dente bite on your pasta since you will finish the cooking in the pan.

For the sauce, you will start with butter in your pan, let it melt then add finely chopped garlic and sprinkle chili flakes and let them sizzle away. Your heat should be medium because you don’t want the garlic to burn or color. Place in the pasta and keep stirring and storing it until its beautifully mixed in the magical sauce.

Grate a generous amount of good quality parmesan cheese on top and toss that in then serve it immediately. Toss the garlic oil and the little crispy garlic chips with a sprinkle of spring onions and more cheese if you wish. Enjoy this dish with a smile.

Ingredients;

  • 200g (7 oz) spaghetti
  • 75g unsalted butter
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp chili flakes
  • 3 tbsp finely grated parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
  • 2 tbsp finely sliced spring onions (scallions)

Garlic oil:

  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 garlic cloves, finely sliced

Instructions;

  1. To make the garlic oil, place the oil and the garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Once the garlic is sizzling, cook for 2-3 minutes or until the garlic is just starting to turn golden at the edges. Transfer to a heat-proof bowl and set aside for later.
  3. Heat a large pot of salted water over high heat. When boiling rapidly, add the pasta and cook until al dente.
  4. While the pasta is cooking, add the butter, garlic and chili flakes into a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
  5. Cook stirring until the butter is just melted, simmer for a minute and then take off the heat until the pasta is cooked.
  6. When the pasta is al dente, reserve a cup of pasta cooking liquid in case you need it later. Place the butter sauce back on the heat and add the pasta straight into the pan.
  7. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed by the pasta and everything is looking super glossy and thick.
  8. Toss through the parmesan cheese then serve.
  9. Top with a drizzle of garlic oil and some garlic chips. Sprinkle with spring onion and add extra cheese.