# Spaghetti + Olive Oil + Pepper + Parm



## Mylegsbig (Mar 30, 2006)

Hey guys. I just followed Jennyema's suggestion the other day and ordered some gourmet indian peppercorns.  Also when i was at the store today i bought a very fantastically reviewed gourmet olive oil.

This got me to thinking.

I want to make a pasta dish using thin spaghetti as the pasta, very basic, to highlight a few good flavors.

This is what i want in it so far, and these are going to be the main players.

parmagiano reggiano cheese
gourmet olive oil, not heated
roughly cracked black pepper
thin spaghetti

was thinking of maybe a couple other little ingredients i could use to spruce this up?

 and i was thinking what you all think of this idea for a very plain dish.  it just sounds so good to me i cant believe it. when i was a kid i would just eat noodles with butter and parm cheese from the green can.

that inspired me to think of a much better version....

your thoughts...... please give me any ideas or opinions you have....

legsbig


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## corazon (Mar 30, 2006)

we call your dish noodles and cheese.  It's a favorite in this house.  Maybe some basil or arugula to spruce?


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## Mylegsbig (Mar 30, 2006)

ooooh, thinly sliced basil and sundried tomatoes?


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## Andy M. (Mar 30, 2006)

MLB:

You're right, simple can be very good!  Make it your way.  That's a tasty treat.  Then, experiment with additions for another meal.


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## Haggis (Mar 30, 2006)

Sounds good as is. However here are a number of suggestions, you could include all of them but in order to achieve your goal of keeping it simple they are just suggestions of one ingredient:

- Fried slivers of garlic
- Lemon zest/juice
- Finely chopped anchovy fillets (get rid of the parmesan if you use anchovies)
- Some roughly chopped wild rocket (the spikey kind that looks like mizuna)
- Pinch of good dried oregano


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## Mylegsbig (Mar 30, 2006)

solid ideas haggis!  i think im gonna try the first time with lemon juice.

second time im gonna try some very thincly chopped or sliced sundried tomatoes...god i love those things

how do you fry garlic?  please tell


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## Haggis (Mar 30, 2006)

Some oil or butter in a frypan, throw the garlic in and cook over a medium heat until the garlic is slightly golden in colour.


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## jennyema (Mar 31, 2006)

YUM!!

A bit of mashed anchovy (AND the cheese!!)

Some minced flat leaf parsley

Rocket is called arugula in the US and that would be fantastic

ARtichoke hearts


Keep it simple, BUT make sure you use really good imported cheese and that good evoo you bought, as well as the nice pepper.  The quality of the ingredients matter very much.  IMO this is the best type of eating!!


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## GB (Mar 31, 2006)

Your dish sounds great as is! You have also gotten some great suggestions here. To add to that you could try a handful of capers. I have also had luck with dried cranberries in a dish like this.


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## urmaniac13 (Mar 31, 2006)

This is a very delicious, simple way to enjoy the spaghetti, MLB, roast some crushed garlic in the oil that will give a wonderful kick...
and as Jenny suggested, chopped fresh flat leaved parsley will be a lovely finishing touch, too!


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## Chef_Jimmy (Mar 31, 2006)

Sounds great, fresh basil and garlic seem like the only thing that would be good without overpowering it. Great dish mlb!


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## Robo410 (Mar 31, 2006)

I like to slice the garlic and gently saute in olive oil with chili flakes

when done and the pasta is done I toss together in the pan with chiffonade of basil, cracked black pepper, shaved parmesan.

To this basic one could add: fresh peas.     rings of calamari and heat thru for 30 seconds tossing with the pasta.    fresh chopped garden tomato.     smoked salmon.      baby leaf spinach.        feta cheese.
(not all of the above, but individually.)  I think this dish should stay simple...but one time this way, another day someother way.


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## GB (Mar 31, 2006)

Leg I am sure you already know this, but don't forget the salt too.


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## Mylegsbig (Mar 31, 2006)

Okay guys i have wanted to do that for a while anyway.

How do i roast garlic?  I've seen it for sale at the gourmet market.  Whole cloves of brown garlic. I want to roast some up and then smash it up and throw it in this dish.

Please tell me how!!!!!


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## GB (Mar 31, 2006)

This is VERY easy to do. Take a head of garlic and slice off the top to expose the cloves. Take a sheet of aluminum foil and put the head of garlic on the middle. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top then bunch up the foil to enclose the garlic. Put in the oven at 350ish for about an hour or so. take out of the oven and squeeze the cloves out. they will be very soft and will sort of squish out of the papers.


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## buckytom (Mar 31, 2006)

edited: oops, sorry gb, i just saw your post.

legs, a good quick way of roasting garlic is to take a head of garlic, slice off the top 1/4 inch on the top so the cloves arfe just exposed, drizzle with olice oil, sprinkle with a little salt, wrap up loosely into a ball of aluminum foil, and put into a 400 degree oven for 1/2 hour. the cloves should have turned beige to brown, and be soft. just pinch the uncut end and it will squeeze out of the open end.
if you want whole cloves, just seperate and skin the cloves, s&p and olive oil, then wrap in foil and bake.

getting back to your pasta, i would add salt only at the very end, and only if needed. you are adding cheese, which is salty, so more salt might be over doing it.

i completely agree with adding fresh basil, and/or mashed anchovies, and/or red pepper flakes. you could add sauteed or steamed julienned veggies. also, sauteed sliced mushrooms are good.


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## RMS (Mar 31, 2006)

Once in a while, I still like the pasta with butter and cheese from the green can!  It's comfort food.


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## GB (Mar 31, 2006)

buckytom said:
			
		

> edited: oops, sorry gb, i just saw your post.


Great minds Bucky, great minds!


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## buckytom (Mar 31, 2006)

lol gb, yup, we're a coupla fart smellers. umm, i mean smart fellers... 

rms, that green can cheese is kraft grated parmesan cheese. dw loves the stuff. actually, the stuff ain't half bad.

i prefer to grate my own tho, watching those tiny bits curl and melt as the hit the hot food. it's part of the experience.

i really like locatelli brand pecorino romano, grana padano cheese, and an imported italian parm that i get in costco (forgot the name. it's in a green and clear cryovac wrapping). 

and oh man, real mozarella di buffala (water buffalo milk mozzarella).
cow's milk mozarella is like bland rubber compared to real buffala mozz...

hey, where's rdg and urmaniac, they'd know about real bufala. it's extremely hard to come by as it is only fresh for a week or so. most of the "authentic" stuff sold in places in the u.s. (like whole foods) is weeks old, and has lost most of it's flavor.



http://www.viaitalia.net/mozzarella_di_bufala.htm


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## Michelemarie (Mar 31, 2006)

I've made the same pasta but my recipe called for lemon zest and fresh parsley. I often serve this as a side dish.  I think the suggestions of , artichoke hearts, and shrooms all sound good!


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## mudbug (Mar 31, 2006)

add baby shrimp


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## jennyema (Mar 31, 2006)

DC members are a FONT of excellent ideas!


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## Andy M. (Mar 31, 2006)

jennyema said:
			
		

> DC members are a FONT of excellent ideas!


 
Arial is my favorite font.


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## mudbug (Mar 31, 2006)

Andy, what got into you today?  You are cracking me up.


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## Andy M. (Mar 31, 2006)

It's abeautiful sunny day with temperatures in the 70s for the first time this year.  I'm feelin' goooooood!


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## mudbug (Mar 31, 2006)

Know whatcha mean.  It's real nice down here in Virginny too.

I like it when you feel gooooooooooood.  Besides being very helpful to all of us, you are also very funny.


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## Andy M. (Mar 31, 2006)

mudbug said:
			
		

> ...I like it when you feel gooooooooooood. Besides being very helpful to all of us, you are also very funny.


 
As long as people can tell the differeence!


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