Friday, April 20, 2012

Linguini All'aglio e Oglio and Happy Earth (and Garlic Day)



I was planning to write about something else, but a nice reminder on Facebook brought the news that Thursday was National Garlic Day. In my mail box, other food bloggers reminded me that Sunday is Earth Day. So, we should celebrate accordingly with earthy food! Right?

I wouldn't care to change my original post if it was Onion Day, because, honestly, I just love garlic so much more than I love onions. And I am a believer that Earth Day, as Garlic Day, could be celebrated every day. Earth is such a great home for us...

Garlic is omnipresent in most of my recipes, and my kids usually go for second servings, even when they are pretending to be on a hunger strike. You can find many recipes here that are garlicky—some of my favorites are:
Cranberry Beans with Brown Garlic Sauce
Lemon Balm Pesto
Broccoli Lemon Zest and Almond Pesto
Crunchy Green Beans 


Pasta with Garlic and Olive Oil

This recipe is always welcome here, and it's  kid-approved. You can always personalize it with a seasonal green (like spring onions or tips of broccoli florets) or a different type of pepper.

1 pound linguine or spaghettini, preferably Italian (whole wheat or Omega 3 added if you want to add more nutrition to the plate)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon Meyer (or Sicilian) lemon zest (optional)
2 tablespoons pecorino cheese (optional)

Prepare pasta as directed by package instructions, subtracting 2 minutes from the cooking time to guarantee that it will turn out al dente and not mushy.

On another burner heat half the olive oil in a medium skillet. Add garlic, lower the heat, and stir for about 3 minutes or until the garlic starts to brown. Set aside.

When pasta is cooked and drained, heat the skillet again over medium heat.  Immediately add the pasta to the still-hot skillet with the warm oil and garlic (you can also remove the garlic and use just the infused oil). Add the rest of the olive oil, freshly ground pepper, sea salt, and lemon zest.

Carefully turn pasta in the skillet so it's coated with oil and seasonings.  After about two minutes, remove form heat and serve it straight away. If you love more flavor,  top it with pecorino cheese. 

2 comments:

Myrna said...

I will try the recipe for lunch, it is mouth-watering!
And I just LOVED the photo of the garlic, which seems alive, like a character of Star Wars!
You made a strong point when you said everyday should be Earth Day... Thank you.

Anna said...

Thank you.
Happy Earth Day to you too, everyday!

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