OK, we are great advocates of Banting; we
know some of you are too. We have been doing it for nearly two years now , not
intensely with our limitations when eating out at catered events and really
feel the benefits, if not the weight loss. But sometimes you watch the Food
channel and find a great Italian chef doing pasta and it is too tempting not to
try. So last night, for the first time in two years, Lynne cooked a pasta dish.
It is the easiest and quickest dish to make and it can be straight from your
larder. Preferably use thin spaghetti if possible, but it is not essential. Quantities
are for two
Spaghetti with Oil and Garlic (Aglio et Olio)
Really
good Extra Virgin Olive oil, at least a 1/3rd of a cup or more - 2 or 3 large
cloves of garlic, thinly sliced - 1 t finely chopped red chilli or chilli
flakes -Spaghettini or Angel hair pasta - Flaked salt - freshly ground black
pepper - 2 T chopped parsley or oregano - 35 to 40 g finely grated Parmesan or
Grana Padano cheese
Boil
a pot of really salty water - it should taste like sea water. In an frying pan,
cover the base with a good layer of good green olive oil (at least a 1/3 of a
cup, and put it on a low heat. Add the garlic and the chilli and cook gently
until the garlic is just beginning to take on some colour. Do not let it brown,
it will be bitter. At the same time add the pasta to the water and cook until
it is al dente. Just before it is ready, take a 1/3rd of a cup of the pasta
water and add it to the garlic and chilli oil. Stir rapidly till it begins to
emulsify, this is the sauce. Drain the pasta and put it into the oil and
stir. Add a little more pasta water if you have no sauce. Add seasoning and stir
in the parsley. Transfer to bowls for serving and add the cheese just before
you eat. It is that simple. Enjoy with a healthy salad of mixed vegetables
© John & Lynne
Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2016
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