sam's home cooking: pasta aglio e olio

Pasta aglio e olio

⅙ cup olive oil
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt
½ pound spaghetti*
⅛ cup fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
⅛ cup fresh oregano, chopped (optional)
Black pepper (optional)
Parmesan (optional)

Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Prep garlic.

Heat oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a small pan over medium-low heat. Stir frequently until garlic turns golden but not brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add salt and pasta to boiling water. Cook until pasta is al dente. Drain pasta, reserving ⅛ cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot. Add garlic mixture, cooling liquid, parsley, oregano, and black pepper. Toss well to coat pasta and mix seasonings.

Serve immediately. May be topped with grated parmesan.

Roasted red potatoes

2 pounds red potatoes, halved into ¾-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt & pepper
Optional seasonings: dill, paprika, rosemary

Preheat oven to 425. Prep potatoes.

Toss potatoes and oil in covered bowl. Season generously with salt, pepper, and optional seasonings of your choice. Toss again.

Arrange potato halves cut side down in a single layer in a roasting pan. Cover aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove foil and roast until potatoes touching pan are crusty golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and turn potatoes, taking care to protect the crusts. Return pan to oven and roast until most of the potato is crusty golden brown, 5-10 minutes.

Transfer to serving dish without ripping crusts. Serve hot or warm.