Spaghetti with Green Garlic and Olive Oil Recipe
I admit it; we are pasta hounds. We love it any way we can get it. Dudette's most requested dish is "that pasta with bacon in it," translated to spaghetti alla carbonara. So, yes, when I see a pasta dish, especially one that utilizes bacon, I gravitate towards making it. Ok, I run full force in its direction. You get my drift. Making the Spaghetti with Green Garlic and Olive Oil was on the list. It was on the list especially because I was able to find the green garlic and took the one and only batch they had in the store.
The premise of the dish is simple. The green garlic, which has a much milder taste than regular garlic cloves, replaces said garlic cloves. The green part gets julienned into strands while the white part gets thinly sliced. Simple? Yes, except that the green parts are already pretty thin (or maybe it was just the batch I had). It was some fine knife-work that left me with what looked like a lot of grass.
Spaghetti gets to boiling on the stove. Check. Olive oil gets heated in a large skillet. Check. Over low heat. Double check. Grass and thinly sliced white parts go in. No problem. Salt goes in. Yee haw. Stir. Cover. Stir frequently. It's hard to stir frequently when the skillet is covered. You need to know that. Somewhere in the bare minute where I had the skillet covered, some of the garlic went from lush tropical green to arid desert brown. Just that fast. And, none of it ever made it to the softened stage, it just kept that grass-type texture.
I proceeded anyhow and added the pasta and some of the pasta water to the green/brown garlic and tossed it all with my tongs, adding a bit of pepper as well.
As you can see on the platter, even though the recipe calls for Parmigiano-Reggiano, there is none there. Remember, I live in the family that thinks that that cheese smells like dirty feet. I respect the cheese to much to waste it on my heretics. We ate the pasta sans cheese.
Dudette liked the flavor of the pasta but didn't understand why there was grass in it. Hubby and I thought it tasted good and yes, it was a much lighter hint of garlic than if regular cloves were used. It was fine. Nothing extraordinary; just fine. Truth be told, I don't think there's anything wrong with a nice heavy taste of garlic. I'm rather fond of it. Spaghetti aglio e olio is one of my favorite ways to throw pasta together.
Was this worth a try; sure. Will I bother to make it again? Nope.
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 ounces green garlic, green parts cut into 3-inch julienne strands, white parts thinly sliced
- 6 ounces thin spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano; more for serving
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Bring 3 quarts of well-salted water to a boil in a large pot over high heat.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a 10-inch straight-sided sauté pan over low heat. Add the green garlic and 2 big pinches of salt; stir to coat. Cover and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted and softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Boil the spaghetti until just al dente, about 1 minute less than package timing. Set aside about 1/2 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta.
- Return the sauté pan to low heat. Add the spaghetti and 1/4 cup of the cooking water; toss well. Add the Parmigiano and 2 Tbs. of the water; toss again. Season to taste with salt and pepper, adding the remaining water if the pasta seems dry. Serve in heated pasta bowls, sprinkled with additional Parmigiano.
Adding to Planner
Nutrition Facts
| Amount Per Serving | %DV |
|---|---|
| Serving Size 64g | |
| Recipe makes 4 servings | |
| Calories 246 | |
| Calories from Fat 71 | 29% |
| Total Fat 8.1g | 10% |
| Saturated Fat 1.47g | 6% |
| Trans Fat 0.0g | |
| Cholesterol 2mg | 1% |
| Sodium 45mg | 2% |
| Potassium 147mg | 4% |
| Total Carbs 35.91g | 10% |
| Dietary Fiber 1.6g | 5% |
| Sugars 1.28g | 1% |
| Protein 7.22g | 12% |
.%20It%20was%20some%20fine%20knife-work%20that%20left%20me%20with%20what%20looked%20like%20a%20lot%20of%20grass.%0D%0A%0D%0ASpaghetti%20gets%20to%20boiling%20on%20the%20stove.%20Check.%20Olive%20oil%20gets%20heated%20in%20a%20large%20skillet.%20Check.%20Over%20low%20heat.%20Double%20check.%20Grass%20and%20thinly%20sliced%20white%20parts%20go%20in.%20No%20problem.%20Salt%20goes%20in.%20Yee%20haw.%20Stir.%20Cover.%20Stir%20frequently.%20It's%20hard%20to%20stir%20frequently%20when%20the%20skillet%20is%20covered.%20You%20need%20to%20know%20that.%20Somewhere%20in%20the%20bare%20minute%20where%20I%20had%20the%20skillet%20covered,%20some%20of%20the%20garlic%20went%20from%20lush%20tropical%20green%20to%20arid%20desert%20brown.%20Just%20that%20fast.%20And,%20none%20of%20it%20ever%20made%20it%20to%20the%20softened%20stage,%20it%20just%20kept%20that%20grass-type%20texture.%0D%0A%0D%0AI%20proceeded%20anyhow%20and%20added%20the%20pasta%20and%20some%20of%20the%20pasta%20water%20to%20the%20green/brown%20garlic%20and%20tossed%20it%20all%20with%20my%20tongs,%20adding%20a%20bit%20of%20pepper%20as%20well.%0D%0A%0D%0AAs%20you%20can%20see%20on%20the%20platter,%20even%20though%20the%20recipe%20calls%20for%20Parmigiano-Reggiano,%20there%20is%20none%20there.%20Remember,%20I%20live%20in%20the%20family%20that%20thinks%20that%20that%20cheese%20smells%20like%20dirty%20feet.%20I%20respect%20the%20cheese%20to%20much%20to%20waste%20it%20on%20my%20heretics.%20We%20ate%20the%20pasta%20sans%20cheese.%0D%0A%0D%0ADudette%20liked%20the%20flavor%20of%20the%20pasta%20but%20didn't%20understand%20why%20there%20was%20grass%20in%20it.%20Hubby%20and%20I%20thought%20it%20tasted%20good%20and%20yes,%20it%20was%20a%20much%20lighter%20hint%20of%20garlic%20than%20if%20regular%20cloves%20were%20used.%20It%20was%20fine.%20Nothing%20extraordinary;%20just%20fine.%20Truth%20be%20told,%20I%20don't%20think%20there's%20anything%20wrong%20with%20a%20nice%20heavy%20taste%20of%20garlic.%20I'm%20rather%20fond%20of%20it.%20Spaghetti%20aglio%20e%20olio%20is%20one%20of%20my%20favorite%20ways%20to%20throw%20pasta%20together.%0D%0A%0D%0AWas%20this%20worth%20a%20try;%20sure.%20Will%20I%20bother%20to%20make%20it%20again?%20Nope.){kind=link}