Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Spaghetti aglio e olio. I whipped it up twice this week. Once when it was late and restaurants were already closing and we had intended to go out but I was starving. And another time for a simple lunch in this midst of a week filled with house guests.
Garlic. Oil. Spaghetti. It’s that simple. Italian comfort food. 3 ingredients. We were all 4 - me, Derrick, Jacob, and Joe - staying at my home so if one of us smelled like garlic we all smelled like garlic. “Should we add…?” Derrick asks and I interrupt him. “No. Add nothing. Try it in its purest form first. Then once you know what it tastes like basic, you can add more.” As Americans we tend to think more is more, so a baren plates of oil and garlic laden noodles can be jarring visually. We fry oil, chop garlic, boil spaghetti. We add a pinch of fat salt before serving. “This is Damn Good.” exclaims Derrick. It’s a surprise. All 3 boys slurp their noodles. I’ve served men pasta without meat and they are content. You don’t think 3 ingredients could feel so robust. But It’s comfort food. Like Mac & Cheese for Italians. I keep the ingredients on hand. In an event of an emergency. During Carnavale when @chateauloveofficial and @simonbirtphoto are at my house after a party, I whip up a dish to soak up the drinks. I drank Prosecco on an empty stomach and needed to eat something to keep from feeling tipsy. I think of that #audreyhepburnquote “The prettiest girls are the happiest girls.” And think this applies to pasta. The simplest pasta is the best pasta. 3 ingredients make me happy. It’s like a haiku in the kitchen. A nod towards William Carlos Williams #somuchdependsupon
Cooking makes me feel poetic. It’s my happy place. My friend Kat comes for dinner last night. I make her fried ravioli with salad, a meal I usually keep as a secret masterpiece because I’m quite certain Italians would never understand this bastardization of the simple ravioli. We talk until late in my kitchen, and my heart feels full. My kitchen is a happy place. The heart of my home. Where always, if you turn up unexpected, I can serve you atleast a simple meal. 3 ingredients. Garlic. Oil. Spaghetti.
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