Spaghetti simply dressed with olive oil, garlic, flat-leaf parsley and a scattering of chilli flakes has been around since the proverbial cocky was an egg. This brilliant dish has not made it to the Australian repertoire of Italian dishes because Australians tend to not venerate spaghetti – we regard it as just another pasta option among many, nothing more, nothing less.
And yet spaghetti is so much more, especially spaghetti cooked properly al dente. In one of my previous books, I waxed lyrical about properly cooked spaghetti with butter. Naturally, instead of butter, one can also use olive oil – cholesterol free – and that other herb, garlic. For those who are interested, spaghetti is also ‘Atkins approved’ in the second stage of this popular low carbohydrate diet.
Spaghetti aglio olio is a great party dish. When we entertain in large numbers and some type of fodder is needed to soak up alcohol, spaghetti aglio olio fits the bill. The aroma of fried garlic and chilli takes over the house and creates a great food atmosphere. In Italy it is often called spaghetti di mezzanotte, or midnight spaghetti, precisely because the dish is perfect when the munchies hit late at night.