My definition of an instant meal is not cup noodles but a plate of spaghetti aglio olio. Once you get the hang of it, believe me, it can be as easy as cooking a packet of instant noodles. Seriously, the ingredients (I used dried herbs but you are more than welcome to replace it with the fresh stuff) are usually readily available in any decent kitchen. The amusing thing is the fact that my store can be totally depleted of instant noodles but surprisingly NEVER of the ingredients for this. My twist to this dish is the addition of a little chicken powder to enhance the flavour. Authentic it is not, but tasty it surely is!
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 packet dried spaghetti
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
50g butter
1 teaspoon dried red pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon chicken powder
salt
Method:
Cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water according to the packet instruction. When it is cooked, remove pasta from the pot and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
Heat a saucepan and add in 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 50g of butter. When the butter has melted, stir in the minced garlic and fry until they turn golden, not brown!
Add in 1 teaspoon of dried red pepper, the cooked pasta, 1/2 teaspoon of chicken powder and mix evenly. You may wish to include some of the reserved pasta water to loosen the pasta. Sprinkle with chopped or dried parsley and serve.
