Recipe: Classic Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

This is probably the simplest Italian recipe in existence!  Stripped down to the basics of classic Italian food - spaghetti, garlic, and olive oil - this recipe also can serve as the basis for dozens of variations and other delicious Italian recipes.

If you want a bit more substance, try adding grated Italian cheeses, fresh herbs of your choice, or fresh diced ripe tomatoes. If you have more time, or want more variety, add diced cooked chicken, sundried tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, onions, and/or green or red peppers, or sliced olives - or top with a variety of sauces - your creativity is the only limit to this dish!

Classic Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
(Serves 4-6.)

Ingredients:

Spaghetti all' aglio, olio e peperoncino.(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1 lb spaghetti
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup good olive oil
4 garlic cloves, grated
*other ingredients optional

Directions:

• Fill a very large pot (an 8 quart pot works best) with water, add the salt, and bring to a boil. (Hint: cover the pot so the water boils sooner.)
• Once the water is boiling, add the spaghetti (leave lid off the pot now), turn heat down to medium-low, and gently cook the spaghetti until just al dente. Read the package directions for guideline. Drain well and put back in pot, cover and keep hot.
• Put the olive oil and garlic in a very large skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring, just until garlic gets golden and fragrant, but not brown or burned - 30-60 seconds should be plenty. 
• Transfer the cooked spaghetti to the skillet and, using a pair of tongs, toss the spaghetti so it gets coated with the aglio e olio (garlic and oil) sauce.
• *You may add other ingredients as you wish, such as herbs, peppers, olives, and/or Parmesan cheese, etc. (Also see suggestions above.)

Recipe: Quick & Easy Spaghetti Dinner In A Pot

Check out this one-pot version of an old-fashioned favorite. It's super simple and easy, and the kids will love it! It's nothing fancy, but it's perfect for a quick dinner when you are pressed for time - and with everything in one pot, cleanup will be a snap too. (To fancy it up a bit and add some veggies, add one diced green, red, or yellow bell pepper with other ingredients after the beef is browned.)

Spaghetti And Meat Sauce Dinner In A Pot
 (Serves 4.)

Ingredients:

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1 lb ground beef
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp grated onion
1 Tbsp grated garlic clove
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 cup tomato juice
5 cups water
8 oz spaghetti pasta, uncooked
Parmesan cheese (for topping)

Directions:

• In large pot over medium-high heat, put the oil and ground beef, browning the beef until no pink remains.
• Add next 6 ingredients, stir to combine, then cover the pot, turn heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the uncooked spaghetti pasta, stir to combine, cover the pot, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until spaghetti pasta is cooked tender, stirring occasionally.
• Serve immediately, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Gluten-Free Recipe: Bacon Parmesan Spaghetti Carbonara

With gluten appearing in so many foods, as we discussed on Monday, it can sometimes be hard to figure out what is safe to eat if you are gluten-sensitive or intolerant. Not to worry - we've got lots of tasty gluten-free recipes for you to try out! This week we're sharing a couple of hearty winter favorites, in a gluten-free version. Today's recipe is very simple, and delicious!

Bacon Parmesan Spaghetti Carbonara - Gluten Free
(Serves 4-6.)

Ingredients:

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1 box (16 oz) gluten-free brown rice spaghetti
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup light cream or half & half
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup grated Parmesan
8 strips bacon, diced and fried crisp

Directions:

• Cook the spaghetti according to package directions; drain and set aside.
• In a large pot over medium heat, add the oil, and when hot add the garlic, stirring and cooking for just 1 minute.
• Turn burner down to low, then add the cooked spaghetti.
• Add the cream and bring to a low simmer.
• Slowly add the beaten eggs, stirring constantly until eggs set up and are cooked through.
• Add the Parmesan, stirring until melted slightly, then sprinkle the bacon pieces in, stir to combine. 
• Serve immediately.

Recipe - Mock Noodles & Cheese

This tasty variation on a popular comfort food cuts down on the carbs by substituting spaghetti squash for pasta. Depending on your diet, you may wish to use half & half or even whole milk in place of the cream, but if you're on a diet that allows full-fat versions, this should be a guilt-free splurge. I've got a great big spaghetti squash sitting in my kitchen right now - I'm thinking we've now got a great use for it! :-)

Mock Noodles N Cheese

(Photo credit: famfriendsfood)

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups heavy cream
1 garlic clove, grated
2 cups freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seedy part.
• Put a little olive oil on the exposed cut part and set cut side down on a baking sheet; cook in preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes or until fork tender.
• Remove, let cool slightly, then flip over and pull "spaghetti strands" out of squash using a fork; put spaghetti strands in a large bowl; cover to keep warm and set aside.
• Put 2 Tbsp of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until melted.
• Slowly drizzle in the cream, whisking as you add and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the garlic, stir, then, while stirring, start adding the cheese, continually stirring with a big spoon in a 'figure 8' until all cheese is added and blended well. 
• Add the parsley and stir.
• Pour the cheese sauce over the warm spaghetti squash "noodles" and toss to combine.  Taste for salt and season if necessary.  Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese if desired.

Recipe - Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce

You don't have to slave over a hot stove all evening to have a tasty plate of home-made spaghetti. Enjoy spaghetti anytime with this easy vegetarian sauce recipe you can make right in the crockpot and have ready when you come home from work. (If you prefer it with meat, you can brown some sausage or ground meat of your choice in a skillet and then add it to the other ingredients before leaving for the day.) Then just boil up some pasta and you're ready to eat! This is a great way to add some extra veggies to your diet - like eggplant - the kids won't even know! If you have extra, this recipe also freezes well.

Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce (Vegetarian)
(Makes 3 qts.)

Tomato paste & garlic (Photo credit: Wikiped

Ingredients:

1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 (10-oz) cans tomato puree
1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
2 c. water
1 c. chopped onion
1 diced bell pepper
2 stalks diced celery
1 small eggplant, peeled and diced small (optional)
1 cup mushrooms, washed and sliced (optional)
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
3 TB extra virgin olive oil

Directions: 

• Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Stir well. Cover and cook on "Low" for 8 hours. (Or "High" for 4 hours.)
• Serve hot over freshly cooked spaghetti or pasta of your choice. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

More Tasty & Simple Crockpot Recipes: 
   

Recipe-Shrimp Spaghetti with Red Peppers & Tomatoes

As I promised earlier this week, here is my new quick & easy (& scrumptious!) recipe for you to try.  I came up with this last week when I was really hungry, in a hurry, and didn't have much on hand except for frozen shrimp and a few remaining items from my CSA share. (All ingredients except for the shrimp, spaghetti, and cheese were from my CSA share.) I whipped this up in a small batch, and wished I had made more!

The recipe below should serve 2-4, depending on how hungry you are. It shouldn't take more than 20 minutes, which is good, because you'll be hard-pressed to wait much longer to eat it, once you smell it cooking!

Shrimp Spaghetti with Red Peppers & Tomatoes
Ingredients:
2 sweet red bell peppers
1 lb raw peeled shrimp
1 ripe tomato
2 cloves garlic
4 TB butter
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
5-6 leaves fresh basil (optional)
Parmesan cheese (for topping)
8-oz dry spaghetti (or other pasta of your choice - angel hair would probably be very good as well)

Utensils: (for recommendations, visit http://www.newholisticliving.com/cookingfromscratch.html)
1 large pot of boiling water
Large heavy-bottomed skillet (preferably stainless steel)
Cutting board and sharp knife
Wooden spoon
Measuring spoons
1 large colander
Kitchen shears (optional)

Instructions:
1. Thaw shrimp in a bowl of cold water (if frozen), and remove shells
2. Core red peppers and remove seeds and veins. Slice into thin strips, then cut crosswise once.
3. Melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat until it foams. Add peppers and reduce heat to medium-low. Saute, stirring occasionally, until softening - about 8-10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, mince garlic and dice tomato.5. Add spaghetti to boiling water, and cook 'til done, stirring occasionally. Drain in colander.
6. Increase heat and add garlic, crushed red pepper, and salt to peppers in skillet.  Saute, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.
7. Add shrimp & tomatoes and continue saute, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes more, 'til shrimp are pink, and tomatoes are softened.
8. Using kitchen shears, snip fresh basil leaves into skillet and add ground pepper to taste. Stir and turn off heat.
9. Serve over hot spaghetti, sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese.
10. Say YUM!

(Sorry -- I meant to take a picture of it over the spaghetti, but I forgot and ate it all first!)   Let me know how you liked it, and if you made your own modifications, feel free to share!

 

Related Spaghetti Recipe Articles:

• Recipe: Spaghetti and Meatballs with Garlic Crumbs ( Gluten-free recipe) (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Review: Ready, Steady, Spaghetti (bookingmama.blogspot.com)
• Learn new ways to use peppers with recent cookbooks (knoxnews.com)
• Family hands down chef's shrimp pasta recipe (pbpulse.com)