Cheesy Aglio, Olio, Peperoncino Pasta

I love a passata based saucy pastas, but if there’s one thing the first lockdown in the pandemic taught me, was that with little ingredients, you can make some of the most delicious dishes. This pasta dish is your absolute best friend for a quick lunch or dinner.

This recipe is a marriage between my two favourite pasta dishes - both extremely easy and quick: cacio e pepe and aglio, olio, peperoncino. This dish is creamy, slightly spicy with delicious flavour coming from olive oil and garlic.

Serves: 1 person

Prep/cooking time: 10-15mins

Ingredients

3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, skinned and smashed

1 tsp chilli flakes

100g pasta

1 1/2 cup or less pasta cooking liquid

1/4 (35g) cup parmesan or pecorino, grated finely

Method

1. In a pan, add the oil and smashed garlic. Turn the heat up to medium-low, and let the garlic infuse and becomes golden.

2. Cook your pasta in a pot of boiling salted water, 1 minute under the amount of time for al dente indicated on the package. Scoop out 1 1/2 cups of pasta cooking liquid .

3. While the pasta is boiling, add the chilli flakes and a pinch of salt to the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add 1 cup of the pasta cooking water into the garlic oil, and turn the heat up to high. Bring to a rolling boil, and let reduce by 2/3.

4. When the pasta is ready - is should be a little under al dente, scoop it out, and add into the garlic mixture.

5. Add another 1/2 cup pasta water and let it reduce by 1/2. Take the pasta off the heat and stir in the grated cheese, little by little. The sauce will thicken and become creamy. Taste and season the pasta with salt. Serve hot, spooning over the sauce.