Black garlic aglio e olio
Our recipe combines the traditional flavour of aglio e olio with the sweet and sour from the black garlic and some chilli flakes to achieve a dish full of different nuances, flavours and textures. If you prefer a milder version you can definitely skip the chillies.
Ingredients
- 150 g spaghetti quantity dependins on how much pasta you usually eat
- 75 mL extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves black garlic
- 2 cloves raw garlic
- ½ tablespoon chilli flakes optional
- water to cook the pasta
- salt and pepper to taste
- parmigiano reggiano optional
Instructions
- Place a pot with sufficient water to later cook the pasta at high heat.Whilst it is increasing its temperature, roughly chop the black garlic. There is no need for precision since black garlic has a very soft and spreadable texture so it will break very easily in the following steps.Chop the raw garlic very finely.
- When the water is boiling, add the pasta. Once it starts boiling again, reduce the heat just a bit.In the meantime we will prepare the sauce in a separate pan.
- At low-medium heat, add the olive oil to the pan, the black garlic and chilli flakes. Because of the soft consistency of the garlic, it should be possible to separate it even more.After 3 or 4 minutes, add the raw garlic and continue cooking everything together, so that the oil absorbs all the flavour from the garlics and chillies.Once the raw garlic starts to brown a little bit, remove the pan from the heat and reserve.
- Once the pasta is completely cooked, strain it and reserve some cooking water (around half a cup).This water will be used to emulsify the sauce in the pan.
- Add the pasta to the pan mix very thoroughly. The black garlic will probably break into even smaller pieces.Incorporate slowly some cooking water and mix very well with the oil until the desired texture is achieved. It is not necessary to use all the reserved water unless preferred.Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.
- And that’s it!You can add grated parmigiano reggiano once the dish is served. It couples incredibly well with the sauce.
Notes
- To decorate your plate you can add some chopped black garlic on top like in the picture.
- If the pasta was getting cold whilst mixing it in the pan with the oil, you can turn the heat on slightly.
- If the pasta was getting cold whilst mixing it in the pan with the oil, you can turn the heat on slightly.