Aglio e Olio
A perfect example of cucina rustica – “the rustic kitchen” – simple, easy
to prepare Italian family food at its least pretentious.
1 lb. dried spaghettini or spaghetti
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 medium
garlic cloves, slivered or minced
Freshly ground black pepper
Red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp. minced fresh herbs such as parsley or oregano
Freshly grated Parmesan (pass separately)
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta al dente
and drain. While the pasta is cooking, gently warm the olive oil in a large
sauté pan, add the garlic and heat just until the garlic turns golden. Add
red pepper flakes. Set oil aside until the pasta is drained. Place oil back
on medium low flame and toss in the pasta until well coated. Add herbs.
Serve immediately with black pepper and grated cheese.
Roasted Garlic
Roasted garlic has a wonderfully mellow taste. The roasted pulp can be eaten
as-is, scooped or squeezed out, mashed with a fork and used in recipes,
spread over warm bread, mixed with yogurt or sour cream as a topping for
baked potatoes or mixed into cooked pasta. One head yields approximately one
heaping tablespoonful of purée.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Peel away the outer layers of the skin from a bulb of garlic, leaving the
skins of the individual cloves intact. Using a knife, cut off ¼ to a ½ inch
of the top of the bulb, exposing the individual cloves of garlic.
Place the garlic heads in a baking pan, muffin pan, terra cotta garlic baker
or small ramekin. Drizzle a couple of teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil
over each head. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake at 400°F for about
40 minutes, or until the cloves are lightly browned and feel soft when
pressed.
Allow the garlic to cool enough so you can touch it without burning
yourself. Use a small knife to cut the skin around each clove. Use a small
fork or your fingers to pull or squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of
their skins.
Leftover pulp will keep, covered with olive oil in a tightly covered
container, in the refrigerator for up to a month.
Grilled Asparagus With Garlic Vinaigrette
This roasted garlic vinaigrette can be used with other vegetables like green
beans, spinach and broccoli.
For the vinaigrette:
4 large garlic cloves, roasted (see above)
½ tsp olive oil
|
Learn about the culinary and health benefits of garlic
here. |
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
For the asparagus:
1 ½ lb asparagus, ends trimmed
2 tsp olive oil
Preheat grill to medium heat. Place asparagus on skewers and use a brush
to oil both sides. Sprinkle with salt. Grill five to seven minutes on each
side or until asparagus is done. Arrange on platter and drizzle vinaigrette
over. Serve warm or at room temperature.
