Spaghetti with oil and garlic. TNS

Non-tomato sauces can be loaded with seafood, vegetables, nuts and herbs; they can be made with olive oil, butter and cream.

One of fast and easy tomato-free pasta sauce is spaghetti with oil and garlic. It is universal throughout Italy; it is perhaps the most comforting of all Italian comfort foods, a simple blend of olive oil, garlic, parsley, crushed red pepper and plenty of salty grated cheese.

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Spaghetti with oil and garlic

1 pound spaghetti, vermicelli or thin spaghetti

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

6 to 8 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or more to taste

1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 cup freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, optional

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Stir the spaghetti into the boiling water. Return to a boil, stirring frequently, and cook, semi-covered, until the pasta is tender but still very firm, about 6 minutes for spaghetti or vermicelli and 7 minutes for thin spaghetti.

2. Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, shaking the skillet, until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and add the crushed red pepper. Ladle about 1 1/2 cups of the pasta-cooking water into the sauce, then add the parsley, the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil 2 tablespoons of olive oil and salt to taste, and bring to a boil.

3. Fish out the pasta with a large wire skimmer or tongs and drop it directly into the sauce in the skillet. Bring the sauce and pasta to a simmer, tossing to coat pasta with sauce. Cook about 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat and toss in the grated cheese, if using. Check the seasoning, adding salt and crushed red pepper if necessary. Serve immediately in warm bowls.