Aglio e Olio Spaghetti
A good place to start with pasta – the Aglio y Olio!
I have a very specific relationship with this dish – I mostly eat it for safety purposes!
When I travel I’m always blown away by how so many people are confident about ordering food in places that they have never been to before. I’m low maintenance about lots of things when travelling but I’m anxious when it comes to food! Really anxious! It’s not being high maintenance in terms of looking for only the poshest or most expensive place there is – far from it… but I’m endlessly apologizing for either taking an AGE to pick where to eat or ending up in the same place all the time because I feel its clean! Trust me – I find it exhausting myself ……and limiting. The fastest way to get me seated is to find me a place where I can eat a meat free, pasta dish …. I figure its safe and filling and there will be soakage for wine!
I love meat – but there is so much to fear! Will it be cooked properly, will it be fatty, the word gristle makes me wretch … so invariably when I arrive into a new city or village and am tired from travelling I think …. Just find some safe carbs that are dripping in garlic and I’ll shut up and smile! I have to say the internet has solved so many issues for me as you can really research places before you go …. But if I’m on the first night of my trip and it’s been an early start or a long flight … it’s pretty much guaranteed I’ll be eating this type of comfort food. Oh and if the trip has been ‘tiring’ it’s probably what I’ll be eating on my last night!
The funny thing is, I never made this dish for myself over the years, despite how basic it is – I kind of saved it so that it was a treat … but there is no travelling now and I’ve been thinking that you can’t expect any pasta dishes you make to be great …. If you can’t make the basics …. so when lockdown hit I decided it was high time to understand this recipe from the inside.
Does anyone else have these fears? Where is best and worst for dodgy eateries? I feel we offer a lot here in Ireland - you can be pretty sure that if you are a foodie, there is a lot to choose from. Worst case scenario is more likely to be “wasn’t mad about the menu” rather than “it was a bit suss and the food was dodgy”!
Even if this simple dish isn’t for you - why not give the recipe to a young person in your house. If they can make this they will be less likely to approach the art of cooking with a generic bag of penne and a stir in sauce from the local mini market!
Click here daniellebytheway.com/pasta for the recipe. - Yes its pretty much pasta and garlic - but it has to be done just right!
Let me know your thoughts by messaging me at either of the instagram or twitter links below.