Typically during the school week, Tuesdays and Wednesdays have been the days where I cook what I wanted and didn't have to worry about making anything for my brother. Over the last couple of weeks though, we've gotten into a habit of having another pasta dish on Tuesdays, and when my brother gets into a routine, it is kind of hard to get him out of it. We were trying to decide what to have this past Tuesday, he wanted carbonara again, but we just had it last week and I don't like cooking the same thing week after week so I suggested aglio and olio, it had been a while since we've had it, and it sounded good to us both so that's what I made. Aglio and olio really just means garlic and oil, which is really all you need to make this dish, but I add a little bit more to it, and it is still probably the easiest meal I make.
Google Translate tells me onion is cipolla in Italian so maybe I should be calling this recipe Cipolla e Olio, because it is definitely more oniony than garlicky, but the idea for it comes from the traditional dish, aglio e olio. My favorite food are probably onions, and I incorporate them in most meals I make, but this one is loaded with them, even more so than garlic. I also add anchovies to the oil, and before you tell me you don't like anchovies, and wouldn't want to use them if you give this recipe a try, I will say that I've never actually even eaten a raw anchovy, when you fry them in the oil they just melt away. You wouldn't even know anchovies were in this recipe if you weren't told, they just add a kind of deeper almost nutty flavor to the overall sauce. Next time you're in the mood for an easy pasta meal give this recipe a try and be prepared for a dish you'll want to make over and over again.
Spaghetti Cipolla e Olio
serves 3-4
2 medium onions, sliced thin
5-6 garlic cloves, minced
5-6 anchovy filets
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pasta cooking water
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1-2 handfuls of fresh spinach (optional, I had it mixed in with mine, my brother didn't)*
pinch of salt, be careful with it because the anchovies will add a decent amount of salt on their own
1 lb. spaghetti
Bring a frying pan to medium heat, add the oil and when it starts to ripple or smoke add the anchovies. Break them up and allow to kind of melt into the oil.
Next add the onions, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Allow the onions to caramelize and brown up, at least 20 minutes. Add the garlic to the onions with about 5-10 minutes left of cooking, the garlic shouldn't burn since there are so many onions in the pan.
While the onions are cooking bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the spaghetti to al dente. As the noodles are cooking set aside the 1/4 cup of the starchy water, then add to pan with the onions.
When the noodles are to you're desired texture drain them and toss with the onion mixture and parmesan, and serve.
*if using the spinach just set aside a little bit of the garlic and saute with the spinach until a bright green in a separate pan and toss together with the noodles, onions and parmesan.
Eat well, Live well
No comments:
Post a Comment