Spaghetti with garlic and olive oil (spaghetti aglio e olio)

This simplest of pastas, known in Italy as spaghetti aglio e olio, needs a quality extra virgin olive oil for flavour. We have served it here in its purest form. It’s also good with the zest of 1 lemon added at step 5 and with flaked smoked fish tossed through or canned tuna.

Ingredients

200 g	Angel hair pasta (Main)
¼ cup	Extra virgin olive oil, choose a very good quality one (Main)
3 cloves	Garlic, finely sliced (Main)
¼ tsp	Chilli flakes
1 small handful	Chopped parsley

Directions

1. Boil pasta in salted water for 2 minutes or until al dente.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp of the oil in a medium-sized frying pan and gently fry garlic and chilli flakes for 1 minute.
3. Drain the pasta, reserving ¼ cup of the cooking liquid.
4. Add the cooked pasta and reserved cooking liquid to the frying pan and toss well. Season with salt.
5. Remove from heat. Stir through remaining oil and serve with chopped parsley.