When I was a kid, Sunday (not Wednesday) was Prince spaghetti day – except we didn’t have Prince in New York, we had Ronzoni. Sunday was my dad’s day to cook. By 8:00 AM he was already starting up the Sunday gravy. No lie, I would wake up Sunday mornings to the smell of garlic frying. Believe me I never complained. The stuff would simmer, plop, and bubble all day long on the stove, filling the house with an intoxicating aroma of tomatoes and wine. Come the afternoon, masked by the sounds of the football game coming from the living room TV, you would find me sneaking over to the stove with a slice of Wonder Bread in hand – a boy on a mission. I’ll bet there isn’t an Italian-American alive who hasn’t lived that story.
But every once in awhile my dad liked a change of pace from the red sauce and would make a simple garlic fried in olive oil over spaghetti. He called it Ail e Olio (Garlic and Oil). I could never pronounce it when I was a kid so I called it Alley Oop. He used Pope brand olive oil which I can no longer find. Any time he made it I was on board. It’s very cheap and easy to make. I like to use Bucatini style spaghetti; it’s hollow inside which absorbs the oil better than a solid noodle – but any kind of macaroni will do. A cool green vinegar salad on the side and you’re in business.
Ingredients
1 lb package of spaghetti
6 cloves of garlic
Olive Oil
Salt
Fresh Parsley (rinsed under cold water 3 times)
Hot Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
Fill a large pot with cold water and set it on high heat.
On a cutting board, place the flat side of a large knife (sharp edge facing away from you) on the garlic cloves and give it a couple of good whacks with the palm of your hand. Peel the paper skin off the garlic. Slice the garlic into thin slices – like Paulie Cicero did in Goodfellas. Rip off a handful of the fresh parsley and chop fine.
When the water comes to a rolling boil add a generous pinch of salt to it and then stir in the spaghetti… stir it in good so that it separates. DO NOT REDUCE THE HEAT. Note the time.
There is nothing worse than musciad spaghetti, so don’t overcook it.
I’ve found that the suggested cooking times on pasta packages are a bit too long. You should start testing for doneness a little past the five minute mark – except for Capellini (Angel Hair) which can cook through in under five minutes. Fish out a strand of spaghetti from the boiling water and take a bite; it should be firm, yet you should be able to bite right through it without any crunch. If you are using Bucatini it will be done between 7 and 8 minutes from the time you put it in – but not a minute longer than 8.
While the spaghetti is cooking, pour a couple-a-three glugs of olive oil into a deep frying pan and put a medium heat under it. Add the sliced garlic (and red pepper flakes if you are using) and fry until the garlic starts to turn gold (don’t burn it!). Remove from heat.
When the spaghetti is done take a ladle and scoop out one ladle full of the starch water from the spaghetti pot and transfer it into a small bowl. Drain the spaghetti into a colander.
Put a medium heat back under the garlic and oil. Grab the pasta from the colander and toss it into the pan with the garlic and oil; throw that little bowl of starch water in on top. Mix real good with a wooden (or plastic) spoon to coat the spaghetti with the garlic and oil. Sprinkle the chopped Parsley on top.
Serve immediately.
Serves 4. My cost approx. $ 3.10 total – about 78 cents per serving.