this is one of my all-time fav... ever. this simply easy to prepare pasta was inspired by Ee-lyn's Curtis Stone sundried tomato recipe.
i've played around with the original aglio olio recipe. i'm not big a fan of parsley so i've substituted it with basil. sundried tomatoes also came into play with my aglio olio, in fact, it's a must in my recipe as it makes all the difference in the world. for all you know, with the combination of ingredients that i used in this recipe, it might actually be known as a whole different pasta recipe name alltogether (if that's the case, then i truly say sorry for my ignorance).
a few tips for this recipe :
- don't try to cut back on the olive oil in this recipe for fear of it being too oily. the lemon juice used here cuts off the 'oily' feeling.
- i use the australian sundried tomatoes here. the italian ones that i get here are a bit damp and too sour for my liking.
- my personal choice for this is aged/mature cheddar. parmesan or normal cheddar can be used if preferred.
- the amount listed in the ingredients is a guide. feel free to add or lessen the amount according to your own preference.
.... thanks lots Ee-lyn :)
Ingredients
500 gm dried spaghetti
1/2 cup olive oil
2 big handfuls sweet basil, finely chopped
8 - 9 cloves garlic, skinned and finely chopped
6 pcs sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
salt to taste
1 large lemon
1 handful of grated matured/aged cheddar cheese
Method
in a big pot of water, put the spaghetti to boil like normal. once the spaghetti has reached the 'al dente' stage, turn off the flame
in a large pan, heat up the olive oil and once it is heated up, turn the flame down to low. add the garlic and sundried tomatoes and stir fry for a few minutes, don't let the garlic turn brown at any time. add the salt and basil. stir fry for 10 seconds and turn off the flame
scoop out the spaghetti from the pot and put into the pan. a little drippy bit of spaghetti water is fine. in fact, it is better with a little bit of water. mix thoroughly
add the cheese and mix throughly. squeeze in the lemon juice and mix to incorporate. serve immediately
this recipe serves 4
