Pasta Aglio e Olio

I submitted the search on Monday. Name, birth year, last known city, which I had from the paperwork. I paid the service fee, which was forty dollars, which felt like an extremely small amount of money for what I was asking it to do. I closed the laptop and went to make dinner, which was pasta with olive oil and garlic and parmesan, the simplest possible thing, because I needed simple.

I have told Tyler. I have not told Gloria yet. I am not sure why, except that I want to know what I am dealing with before I bring it to her. She has given me enough of herself that I want to come to her with something more than an open question when I can.

The pasta was good. I made it with bucatini, which has a hollow center that holds the olive oil and the garlic in a way regular spaghetti does not, and I topped it with a lot of parmesan and ate the whole bowl at my kitchen table by myself on a Monday evening with a glass of water and the radio on low. Sometimes the simple meal is the one that helps you breathe.

Biscuit sat on the table, which I allow approximately never, but he seemed to understand that the evening was particular in some way and I did not move him. He just sat there near my bowl and we both looked at the kitchen wall for a while. I do not know what cats think. I like having one anyway.

That bowl of bucatini on Monday — the garlic softened in olive oil, the parmesan piled on top, the radio low — is the kind of meal I find myself returning to whenever I need to feel steady. It doesn’t ask anything of you, and that’s exactly what I needed that night. The recipe below is my version: simple, honest, and ready in the time it takes to remind yourself to breathe.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 2

Ingredients

8 oz bucatini or spaghetti
1/3 cup good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/4 cup reserved pasta cooking water
Salt, to taste
Fresh parsley, roughly chopped (optional)

Instructions

Boil the pasta. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the bucatini according to package directions until just al dente. Before draining, reserve at least 1/4 cup of the starchy cooking water, then drain the pasta.
Toast the garlic. While the pasta cooks, warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook gently, stirring frequently, until the garlic is lightly golden and fragrant, about 4—5 minutes. Do not let it brown too quickly or it will turn bitter. Add red pepper flakes if using and cook 30 seconds more.
Bring it together. Add the drained pasta directly to the skillet with the garlic oil. Pour in the reserved pasta water a little at a time, tossing continuously over medium heat until the sauce coats the pasta and looks glossy, about 1—2 minutes.
Finish with cheese. Remove the pan from heat. Add the grated Parmesan and toss well to combine. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
Serve. Divide between bowls and top with extra Parmesan and a scattering of fresh parsley if you like. Eat while warm, at your kitchen table, however you need to.

Nutrition (per serving)

Pasta Aglio e Olio — The Simplest Thing on a Monday Night