cff:alioliolio

i think i did this dish pretty right coz suhaimi aka gopes could name this dish correctly after his first few bites. (and he used to stay with a chef who worked in an italian restaurant)

now say it correctly.
it's aglio olio.
not alioliolio or olio e gigolo

this is one of my favourites (coz i am a garlic and olive oil fan). tis also has to be one of the easiest pasta dishes.

and experience tells me that when you have to prepare for 10, you would want to do something really simple so you don't have to sweat so much in the kitchen.

this is the original recipe:

spicy prawn aglio olio



ingredients (portion to serve 4)

a) spicy prawn:
1/2 kg jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (a couple of handfuls)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
Coarse salt, about 1 teaspoon
2 tablespoons (a couple of generous drizzles) extra-virgin olive oil

b)aglio olio:
1/4 cup (4 turns around the pan in a light stream) extra-virgin olive oil
1 (2-ounce) tin anchovy fillets
6 to 8 large cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls
salt to taste
spaghetti, cooked to al dente


1. combine prawn with next 6 ingredients and toss to coat prawn evenly.
2. heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium high heat, then add the prawn. cook prawns until pink and just firm. remove prawns to a warm platter.
3. return pan to heat and reduce heat to medium low.
4. add 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil.
5. add anchovies, garlic, and pepper flakes to oil. break up anchovies with a wooden spoon until they melt away into the oil and garlic mixture.
6. toss spaghetti in the pan with parsley and the garlic oil, then season with a little coarse salt, to your taste.

my own modifications:
- i added more fire to the dish. added a few chopped chilli padi in addition to the flaked chillis.
- i added sundried tomatoes. coz in my simpler version of aglio olio i always have these. and they add some sweetness to the spiciness of the dish. they look like lada kering but they come in oil bottled in a jar or can buy from the deli section at some supermarkets. so no, phyz didnt have to dry the tomatoes in the backyard.



- a possible modification..instead of using these anchovies fillets (get them from cold storage marketplace)



can perhaps...use knorrs ikan bilis cubes. though the filletss look very different from our usual ikan bilis.


for the dinner, i did the aglio olio, buttered mushrooms and tiramisu for cuci mulut.

the husband was also in charge of food. he came out with quite a lot. we had lamp chops, black pepper prawns and chicken wings.

he had it even easier..
did it in three very simple steps:

step 1. go to www.bbqwholesale.com
step 2. click and order items
step 3. collect order


i think we did pretty ok for the first cff as a married couple :)

......................................................................

related link: as simple as it gets