Pasta with Garlic and Oil and Peas *oh my*
What you’re about to read is hands down the best pasta recipe of all time. The thought of coming home and eating this nearly brings tears to my eyes. While it is the most delicious, it is also the SIMPLEST. The dish is simply: Pasta with garlic and oil, and peas.
THAT’S IT.
Just trust me on this, this shit is GOOD. No, it’s not good, it’s AMAZING. Not only is this easy to make, but it also is QUICK.
Besides pastina, this is such a comfort food dish to me. This is definitely a meal I would recommend eating if you’re feeling blue and want to eat your feelings.
Before I dive in:
The Recipe
1lb of Pasta
6-8 Cloves of Garlic
3/4 of a cup of Oil (give or take)
The Zest and Juice of One Lemon
Handful of Basil
1c of Breadcrumbs
2tbs of Butter
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Pecorino Romano Cheese to Taste/Garnish
To start out with get a pot of water boiling. While that heats up, we’re going to prep the other ingredients.
Take 6-8 cloves of garlic and finely chop them. I know that seems excessive, but its worth it. Just brush your teeth and take some Pepto-Bismol after and call it a day.
You’re also going to prep your basil by also chopping that finely. Just get a big heaping handful of it. After that, zest a lemon, as well as squeeze out the juices of the entire lemon.
It is IMPERATIVE that you prep all of your ingredients before beginning to cook. This dish can go to shit in a matter of seconds. Unless you’re Gordon Ramsey (aka daddy), prep the damn ingredients.
On deck you’re going to want to have salt, pepper, Pecorino Romano cheese, and your frozen peas.
After you have everything prepped, let it sit to the side while you make the breadcrumb topping. This is optional but if you’re going to eat 700 calories worth of pasta, you might as well really go for it.
Take the breadcrumb and add it into a frying pan with butter. Toast that baby up, and when it stars to brown pour it into a bowl. Feel free to add some pepper or some cheese to taste. You’ll know its done if you try a spoonful and it tastes like ground up bread and butter (I mean duh that’s essentially what it is)
My mother also scolded me and said that she likes her breadcrumb topping made with olive oil not butter and thats how SHE makes it *insert eye roll emoji here*. Feel free to use olive oil instead.
SO NOW ITS TIME FOR THE MAIN EVENT:
Once your water starts boiling, add in your pasta, your frozen peas, AND SALT!!!
Unsalted pasta water is unacceptable. I took a wine and cheese class when I studied abroad in Rome, and the chef that came into class said that for every pound of pasta, you should add ¼ of a cup of salt. That seems a little excessive and she didn’t speak good english, BUT the moral of the story is SALT YOUR DAMN WATER. I also eventually failed that class, but that’s another story for another day.
The pasta I got was fresh pasta so it only took a few minutes to cook. I can’t believe I am about to say this, but please WAIT until your water is boiling to add in your pasta.
I kid you not; I have a friend who does not wait for the water to boil. She puts the pot of water up and immediately adds the pasta. Her reasoning;
And I know you’re probably thinking, “Emily, what the fuck is wrong with your friend.” And trust me, I agree, and I honestly don’t know. She grew up in Sussex County, NJ so that might be that. She’s also Irish so she was on a strict potato and Guinness diet as a kid, so that may also be it. I have been friends with this poor little white Irish girl for a few years, and one would THINK that my Italian-ness would have rubbed off on her, but clearly it did not.
Please, take a moment out of your day to pray for my sad Irish friend. The thought of her eating soggy pasta is very upsetting.
She also washes off her pasta after its done cooking and not only is that a hate crime against my culture, but it is just down right disrespectful. #PrayForDominique
But enough about my trash friend, back to the cooking.
While the pasta is cooking and the peas are defrosting, put olive oil in a pan with the garlic and get it cookingggg.
The garlic will only take a few minutes to cook so start the garlic when the pasta has about five minutes left to cook. If the garlic is browning and the pasta isn’t done yet, ITS OKAY. Take the pan off the heat and let it just chill.
Once the pasta is done DO NOT DRAIN YOUR PASTA. That pasta water is LIQUID GOLD. If you go to Italy, the pope passes out pasta water instead of holy water, that’s how precious this shit is.
A little tip for any/ all pasta dishes: if the recipe requires you to strain the pasta (as opposed to taking it straight from the pot and into the frying pan as we will be doing today), take a liquid measuring cup and fill it with the starchy beautiful goodness that is the pasta water, so you can have it on hand just incase you need it. And if it turns out you don’t need it, just bring it to your local church. Italians actually get baptized in pasta water so pray that a little meatball is getting baptized soon, and the church needs it. If not, say a Hail Mary as you pour it down the drain.
I digress (as per usual).
ANYWAY: take the pasta DIRECTLY from the pot and add it into the frying pan of garlic. Finishing up cooking the pasta directly in the pan as opposed to adding everything into the pot helps blend the ingredients better.
Turn your burner down to low when you add in the pasta. As you mix the pasta into the garlic mixture, add in your remaining ingredients of basil, lemon juice and lemon zest. Add a handful of pecorino Romano cheese and some salt and pepper to taste.
If you notice your pasta is a little dry, that’s when you dip into that liquid gold pasta water and add a little bit at a time to moisten it up. The pasta water has so much flavor that you aren’t diluting the dish, but rather enhancing it.
After plating the pasta, add your toasted breadcrumbs and some extra cheese if desired and there you have it. *Italians Chef Kiss*
Would ya’ look at that?
Come on; is that not the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?
It is a very simple dish, but it is ridiculously delicious. I promise you, you life will be changed after eating this.
You may enter a carbohydrate coma and gain 5lbs after consuming this, but its worth it. Plus, its basically winter; wear a turtle neck and no one will notice your double chin. Make it a chunky sweater to conceal those back rolls and you are SET.
