15-Minute Delight: Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Green Olives - Easy

 

Imagine the following: It is 4 p.m. and you will be late in line to pick you up from school. After having children, you still need to play soccer and swim, and don't know what to cook for dinner. Sound familiar?

 After  too many of these spooky lunchtime scenarios, I've gotten smarter and now have a number of meals that I know I can make in under 15 minutes with what I always have in my pantry. 

 One of my family's favorite meals is spaghetti aglio e olio, a classic Neapolitan pasta that's delicious and super easy to make. Traditionally it consists only of spaghetti, garlic and olive oil. The garlic permeates the oil, which envelops each strand of spaghetti in an intense flavor. 

 I'm smart enough to know that it's crazy to add flavor to a great dish like spaghetti aglio e olio, but by adding some of my family's favorite ingredients that I always have on hand, I've created what I love the perfect consider pasta dish.

 I've publicly professed my love for green olives: the buttery, salty and fruity Castelvetranos are a natural complement to this paste. I mix some garlic into the olive oil, then add chopped olives, chilli flakes or Calabrian pepper, fresh parsley and a drop of wine. Mix spaghetti in a quick sauce with some pasta water and you have a delicious dinner that pairs perfectly with a chilled glass of  white wine. What I like best: A restaurant-quality meal in under 15 minutes and for under $10. 

 How to make Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Green Olives 

 These are the ingredients you will need: 

 1 pound dry spaghetti 

 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil 

 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 

 2 Calabrian peppers , coarsely chopped chilies (or 1/2 teaspoon chopped chilies) 

 1/2 cup Castelvetrano olives, seeded and chopped  

 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 

 1/4 cup white wine, dry  

 

 salt and freshly ground Black pepper to taste 

 Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan.Salt  generously, then add the spaghetti and cook  al dente - about 2 minutes less than  package says - setting aside about 2 glasses of the cooking water. 

 Meanwhile, in a large skillet, add  oil, garlic, and chili (or red chilli flakes). Set  over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until  garlic is strongly fragrant and  oil begins to bubble slightly (about 3 minutes). Add 

  olives, parsley and wine and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the drained pasta along with the reserved 1 cup  pasta water.Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the noodles are cooked through and most of the  water in the noodles has been absorbed. Add more water if necessary. Finally, season with black pepper and  salt to taste.