Tonight's Dinner: Thin Spaghetti with Roasted Garlic Oil

This was tonight's dinner. I adapted it from a great book by Michael Chiarello called Flavored Oils. I made the Roasted Garlic Oil 1-1/2 hours earlier than dinner and used the oil in the dish, keeping the garlic for some other use. It lasts quite awhile in the refrigerator. So useful for other things.

Served with warm Italian bread. Just a delicious meal. Hubby said it was the best Garlic & Oil Pasta I've ever made. I really loved it, so did Trevor, but I think the Aglio e Olio from the first Silver Palate book is better. Just my 2 cents.

Thin Spaghetti with Roasted Garlic Oil

1 lb thin spaghetti

3/4 cup roasted garlic oil

Roasted Garlic Oil:

4 bulbs garlic

1 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

Remaining recipe:

1/2 tsp chili flakes

1/2 cup chicken broth

Salt and pepper

1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

For roasted garlic oil: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Drizzle some olive oil in the bottom of a heavy skillet (I used a small cast iron skillet). Tear off some of the outside papery skin of the garlic bulbs. Cut off the top of each bulb. Place the bulbs in the skillet and then pour the remaining oil over the top. Cover with some tin foil. Roast at 400 degrees F for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let it cool, long enough to be able to handle the garlic. Take it out of the skillet and let it cool a bit. Then drizzle 3/4 of the oil in the bottom of a chicken fryer or other large pan. Add the chili flakes. Let the chili sizzle a bit.

Press the garlic out of the skins and set aside for some other use.

For pasta:

Place a large stockpot on stove top and add a lot of water. Bring to a boil. Add the thin spaghetti and cook for 1 minute less than the package directions Drain well and place thin spaghetti in other skillet, over MED-LOW heat.

Add the chicken broth, salt and pepper. Stir the spaghetti around until it is really coated well with the oil, chili flakes and broth.

Slice some of the roasted garlic and add to the skillet. Toss with 3/4 of the parmesan cheese. Serve, passing the remaining parmesan.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Source: Flavored Oils by Michael Chiarello

Posted by RisaG 6/29/12