Keeping it simple with Aglio e Olio*

*This post was originally written for The Athena, Cheenee's previous blog.

Simplicity has perhaps propelled the popularity of pasta all over the world. This is one dish that is not exclusively made heavenly by professional chefs, but a staple suited for home cooking. Italian cuisine is rather big on the quality of ingredients than focusing on techniques elaborate and complicated for the ordinary home cook.

For the rookies in the kitchen, cooking pasta would be a great start to experiment and play with. In every dish, a newbie can try chopping the onions, or garlic, or both. The instructions are practically easy to understand with simple steps like boil this then throw that to the pan then mix this next then tadannnnnn, your very own pasta. It can also unleash the "cook's" creativity with the variety of sauces that can be made or the shapes of pasta that can be used.

Aglio e Olio (spaghetti in oil and garlic)                                                                                                                                   

In the Philippines, where different international cultures thrive and are being adapted and adjusted to make them more Filipino, the popular Pinoy-style spaghetti is so patok to the Filipino taste buds, especially to the kids. Pasta has almost become synonymous to spaghetti in red sauce. My personal favorite next to the Pinoy-style spaghetti is carbonara. 

Manila did not only make me brave the streets and jeepneys but also made my tongue receptive to new tastes, trying every unusual and unknown food and cuisine. From the Italian cuisine, pizza with more meat, "red" spaghetti, carbonara, baked mac, and lasagna were my safe and even comfort foods. But pesto, marinara, ravioli, primavera and what have you? I did not imagine myself putting these weird names inside my mouth!

With all the seemingly complex pasta dishes, the simple Aglio e Olio or spaghetti in oil and garlic caught my interest. My officemates often order shrimp in oil and garlic from A Veneto Napoli Pizzeria Ristorante (Napoli) and it is really good! During my 22nd birthday, I went to Napoli in Trinoma with my friend, Tina, and instead of the usual shrimp in oil and garlic, she ordered hungarian sausage in oil and garlic. See? Anything goes with pasta. Tina said that the dish is so easy to cook so I tried playing in the kitchen again.

The basics: Garlic, pasta, parmesan cheese, parsley and olive oil                                                                                     

The dish's main ingredients include garlic, pasta, parmesan cheese, parsley, extra virgin olive oil, and chili flakes if you want it spicy. In my case, I seldom make something spicy because the kids don't want it hot, although I prefer it spicy. The amount of garlic, parsley, and cheese depend on your taste while the amount of oil depends on the quantity of the pasta.

Parsley                                                                                                                                                      

Aglio e olio takes five to ten minutes to prepare. Mince the garlic first then chop the parsley and you're ready to cook! If you are not familiar with different ingredients, just stroll around the supermarket, check the spices section, meat and vegies section. I was not sure how parsley looked like but all bundled vegetables are labeled in the supermarket. Parsley smells great, by the way!

Simultaneously, boil water for the pasta. If it starts boiling, put a generous amount of salt and a little oil. Some Italian websites would say that oil is unnecessary as long as the pasta is stirred continuously and a large pot is used so the noodles won't stick. The salt, meanwhile, will season the pasta. It would be better if the pasta itself has its own flavor.

Fry the hungarian sausage (or whatever you want your pasta to have) when the olive oil is already hot.

Remove the sausage from the pan after it is cooked and strain it.

Toss in the garlic and wait for it to brown a little but not too long because burnt garlic is bitter. You wouldn't want the bitter taste in your pasta. If the oil starts to have bubbles, toss in again the hungarian sausage. Honestly, I don't know why I fried the sausage first and removed them, then put them back again when the garlic was done. [HAHA] Go on and experiment.

Transfer the cooked pasta to the pan and mix. It is better if the noodles is mixed with the sauce in low heat so it can absorb the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Drop the parsley ala-chef (OHA! OHA!) and add the parmesan cheese.  Here's an observation, the parmesan also adds to the saltiness and flavor without overpowering the taste of garlic. Do not forget to set aside a few leaves of parsley for the garnish. Plate it ala-chef again, and you have a very yummy-nammy aglio e olio (and hungarian sausage).

Aglio e olio with hungarian sausage                                                                                                            

Do not be afraid to experiment with Italian dishes. Even authentic Italian cooking is diverse from one region to another. In an article written by Kyle Philipps, a renowned food, wine and travel writer based in Tuscany, the wide array of local Italian cuisine may be attributed to Italians' lack of travel before WWII. Thus, each town has something unique to offer. Although neighboring towns share recipes, the dish becomes localized as different towns put twists to it depending on the culture, taste, and identity of each town. So, go on and put your own identity and character to your own cooking! A little twist won't hurt.

There. I hope you try cooking this Italian dish and enjoy your kitchen adventure!

-athenaD.