Garlic Spaghetti
8 ounces spaghetti or other pasta
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 1⁄2 teaspoon hot chile flakes (optional)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving Boil spaghetti in a large pot of well-salted water until just tender, about 9 minutes or according to package directions.
Meanwhile, heat butter and canola oil in a medium frying pan over low heat. Add garlic and chile flakes, if using — they should barely sizzle. The idea is to cook them gently so they flavor the butter without getting even the slightest bit golden. Cook, stirring once in a while, 3 to 4 minutes or until garlic is translucent.
As soon as pasta is ready, use tongs to transfer it directly into the garlic pan and toss so the butter mixture coats every strand.
Divide between 2 warmed bowls and drizzle with a little olive oil. Serve with Parmesan.
Cooking garlic in a mixture of butter and canola oil prevents it from singeing. If desired, you can cook some chopped bacon in the pan first before lowering the heat and adding the garlic. You can also add a handful of frozen peas to the pasta water about 1 minute before pasta is cooked. Pam Anderson always keeps dried and canned beans on hand. Canned lentils aren’t something you’ll find often, but the plus is that dried lentils are budget-friendly and easy to make. She notes that if you soak dried lentils they cook in about 10 minutes and in just about 20 minutes if you don’t.
Try different varieties of lentils and find a favorite, whether red, green, yellow, black or brown. Here Anderson offers two methods for a quick batch of cooked lentils, which make a great base or protein addition to a meal.