So, if you asked me 5 years ago if I would ever eat (let alone prepare) this Pasta with Three Kinds of Garlic for our dinner tonight, I would have probably done some odd gagging sound and said "I'll just have a bowl of cereal, thanks!". Thankfully, I finally pushed myself to just get over it as I knew I was missing out on such an abundance of new foods or ingredients and got tired of saying "Sorry, I don't eat that", even though I had probably never even tried it before!
Garlic is prepared in three different ways for this dish - first, we wrapped an entire head of garlic in foil and roasted it until the cloves were soft and golden. Once it was cool enough to handle, the garlic pulp was easily squeezed out, releasing a sweet mellow paste. A few raw cloves are then sliced thinly - these are added to a skillet with a thin layer of olive oil and gently toasted until they turn golden and crisp. Be watchful to not let these go too dark or they may end up being bitter. The third set are finely chopped and added to the same olive oil as the previous garlic, except these are only cooked until they begin to just turn translucent - a little color won't hurt, but try to not let these brown. The roasted garlic mash and a little less than a cup of dry white wine are tossed into the chopped garlic and oil - after a few minutes of simmering, cooked spaghetti (I tried out a whole-grain blend version), fresh parsley and for a nice kick, a few dashes of crushed red pepper rounded out this recipe. None of the garlic was in-your-face, but you could pick out the subtle differences between the three. We didn't think this dish needed any, but feel free to sprinkle on some fresh grated Parmesan or Asiago when serving for a salty edge.
As a child you did not like pasta? That's odd. I like this combinaison of garlic and red wine. Looks good.
ReplyDeleteYou did not like pasta? I think you are probably the first. This one with garlic is too good. The red wine must add a beautiful aroma to the dish!
ReplyDeleteI don't know any kids who don't like pasta, a bit unusual. Good to know you outgrew it! LOL!
ReplyDeleteThis recipe is something I know we'd enjoy. Every time I visit, I find another recipe I need to print off! Thanks for sharing so much.
Not like pasta? For me, it was a weekly staple for many years and the go-to dish in college. This looks very tasty
ReplyDeletePlease write a book, Joe. This is the best food blog on the net.
ReplyDeleteKerry
TX
I know... I was a crazy picky eater! Times are a changin' though!
ReplyDeleteAll of you people saying it's unusual for children to dislike pasta? I hated it as a child! Maybe you all grew up eating the canned kind..that's more palatable for children. I grew up eating the old-fashioned kind. It was an acquired taste, and I love it now.
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