Some recipes instantly belong the first time they appear at your table. This pasta dish is that kind of recipe.
Adapted from The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison, it's very simple. The only ingredient you may not have on hand is fresh parsley. It must be said though that fresh parsley is essential. Honestly, it doesn't take more than a few minutes to rinse it off and place it in an old jam jar filled with water to live in your refrigerator. Over the next week, you will find being greeted by the bright green bouquet especially cheery. And if you bump into it several times a day, you won't forget to use it for other things. I've been reading lately about parsley's nutritional powers (high in vitamin K and antioxidant vitamins A and C) which makes me love it even more.
Finally, a thank you to Elisabeth Heissner for her photography and keen design eye, which was a huge help in refreshing this blog for the new year!
Adapted from The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison, it's very simple. The only ingredient you may not have on hand is fresh parsley. It must be said though that fresh parsley is essential. Honestly, it doesn't take more than a few minutes to rinse it off and place it in an old jam jar filled with water to live in your refrigerator. Over the next week, you will find being greeted by the bright green bouquet especially cheery. And if you bump into it several times a day, you won't forget to use it for other things. I've been reading lately about parsley's nutritional powers (high in vitamin K and antioxidant vitamins A and C) which makes me love it even more.
Finally, a thank you to Elisabeth Heissner for her photography and keen design eye, which was a huge help in refreshing this blog for the new year!
Ingredients
16 oz. spaghetti
1/3 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (depends on how much heat you’d like)
½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley (a fresh bunch, not dried)
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
Toast the breadcrumbs in a small frying pan. Let them get a nice even shade of brown, but take care not to let them burn. They transform from healthy brown to burnt in the blink of an eye. Set aside.
Warm the oil with the garlic and pepper flakes in a large sauté pan over medium heat. As soon as the garlic begins to color, remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of well-salted water (a good 1 tablespoon) according to the directions on the box. When spaghetti is cooked, save small amount of the pasta’s cooking water (¼ cup)before draining. Then, drain the spaghetti, shaking off any excess water. Return pasta to the pot and pour the garlic, red chili flakes, and oil over it, tossing well with tongs. If the pasta seems dry, add a little reserved pasta water. Add parsley and Parmesan cheese, tossing well. Taste for salt & give a few generous grinds of pepper. The last step is to add the breadcrumbs and give everything one last toss.
Serve with extra Parmesan and black pepper if desired. If cold outside, serve on a nicely heated plate.
