spaghetti aglio e olio

I'm not much of a recipe post-er but this one has been requested by lots of peeps so here it is. Simple. You might be concerned that the garlic is too much but trust me, it's not.

FROM BAREFOOT:

Spaghetti with garlic and olive oil has to be one of the easiest dinners ever. It’s sometimes called Midnight Spaghetti because chefs make it for a quick meal at midnight when they get home from work. This has an amazing amount of garlic, but gets sweeter when you cook it in the oil. The pasta is great on its own or dressed up for company with veggies.

• Kosher Salt
• 1 pound dried spaghetti, like DeCecco
• 1/3 cup good olive oil
• 8 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt and the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water before you drain the pasta. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a pot large enough to hold the pasta, such as a 12-inch sauté pan or a large, shallow pot. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until it JUST begins to turn golden on the edges-don’t overcook it! Add the red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds more. Carefully add the reserved pasta-cooking water to the garlic and oil and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by about a third. Add the drained pasta to the garlic sauce and toss. Off the heat, add the parsley and Parmesan and toss well. Allow the pasta to rest off the heat for 5 minutes for the sauce for the sauce to be absorbed. Taste for seasoning and serve warm with extra Parmesan on the side.