Garlic Pasta | Pasta all'aglio
This garlic pasta is inspired by the classic Italian pasta all'aglio, with crispy toasted breadcrumbs, fresh sage, and a hit of chilli. It comes together in about 25 minutes for a simple, satisfying vegan dinner.
Ingredients
- 250 g pasta of choice I used whole grain pasta shells, but you can use any kind of pasta you want
- 1 head garlic
- 6 Tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 slices toast extra-crispy, crushed by hand into tiny bits
- 10 fresh sage leaves
- 6 Tbsps nutritional yeast flakes / grated vegan cheese or grated parmesan optional, but recommended
- 1-2 pinches peperoncino
- salt and ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel the garlic cloves and slice them thinly.
- Boil the pasta in salted water until al dente.
- Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, add the olive oil, chopped sage and sliced garlic. Cook over medium heat until slightly golden.
- DO NOT let it turn brown! The garlic must not burn or it will taste bitter.
- Once golden, remove the pan from the heat.
- Before draining, reserve a splash of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- Add the pasta to the pan along with the salt, pepper, peperoncino, crushed toast and, optionally, grated parmesan or, for a vegan version, grated vegan cheese / nutritional yeast flakes.
- Toss well, loosening with a little reserved pasta water if needed, and serve right away.
Notes
Reserve a splash of the starchy pasta water before draining. If the pasta looks dry, stir a little in to loosen the oil into a light, glossy sauce. Best served fresh and hot.