Day 30 - this weeks version of spaghetti al'oglio

Spaghetti al'oglio is an institution in this household. I mean, pasta, oil and galic with loads of salt and pepper. Does it get any better?

Here is this weeks version:

1x500g packet Barilla Bavette pasta

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
8 cloves (or so) garlic, smooshed* with loads of salt
1 head of broccoli, cut up into small florets
left over oven roasted tomatoes
250g ricotta
rind of 1 lemon
lemon juice

sea salt
pepper

Cook pasta and the broccoli together
drain, reserve some cooking water
in the pot you cooked the pasta, pour in a few good glugs of evoo
add garlic until nicely cooked - NOT brown on any level.
add the tomatoes
Toss through the spaghetti and broccoli that, being cooked that way, has broken up beautifully through the pasta.
add some of the cooking water to loosen.
Put the lid on and let sit for a minute or five.

Mix the lemon rind and juice to taste through the ricotta. Season.

Serve the pasta.
Put a big glob of ricotta on the pasta and mix through - it imparts a beautiful creamy texture without the calories and the lemon lifts it all in that lovely way lemons do.


When I say smooshed this is what I mean:
smack the clove with the side of a chefs knife - this breaks the skin off and breaks up the clove.
roughly chop
add a big pinch of good quality sea salt
keep chopping
then turn the knift on the side and press down and across the garlic - this makes the juices start to flow and makes a sort of crushed garlic paste that is divine. I've been known to just eat it raw on white bread when I'm sick in winter.