Pasta with Pot Prepared Garlic and Oil Sauces

Pete's Pot Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil for Pasta Sauces

Angel Hair Pasta Aglio e Olio garlic, Pasta with Garlic and Oil, an Italian Classic

Pasta with Shrimp, Pesto, Garlic, and Fresh Tomato

Pasta with Chicken Thighs, Flavored with Pete’s Garlic Oil and Chicken Broth

Pappardelle with Pot Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil, Sausage, Broccoli Rabe & Parmigiana

Pasta and Shrimp Scampi

Pasta with Shrimp Scampi and Spinach

Rigatoni with Shrimp, Pesto, Garlic and Oil, Peas & Spicy Olive Bruschetta

Rigatoni with "Pete's Garlic Oil" and Pancetta;Topped with Chicken Milanese and Asiago Cheese

Pasta with Shrimp, Pot-roasted Garlic & Olive Oil, and Pesto

Pasta with "Pete's Garlic Oil", Pancetta, Broccoli, and Chicken Thighs

Garlic sautéed in generous amount of olive oil creates an incredible flavor base for large classes of pasta sauces; Linguine Aglio Et Olio is the most popular.

Suggesting a different technique to compete against traditional methods to prepare is almost unthinkable. However, the concept of Pete’s Garlic and Olive Oil is simple. Anyone that has ever oven roasted garlic recognizes its impressive transformation from its intense pungent sharp taste to its soft delicate texture with mellow, almost sweet roasted flavors. We also know that any over cooking, charring garlic even slightiy renders it bitter and unusable.

Pete’s Garlic and Olive Oil is a slow roasted technique that simulates oven roasting but in a pot. Garlic’s rough tips are removed, and cloves are cut in half lengthwise. Skin is preserved and creates additional flavor while transforming in olive oil (skin conveniently falls off when garlic is ready).

In addition, olive oil subtle infused with garlic. Herbs, seasonings, even a little heat can be added in the beginning to embellish flavors (I’m partial to sahem rosemary, pinches of Kosher salt and red pepper flakes.

Below is my base recipe for Pete’s Garlic and Oil for Pasta. Individual pasta recipes may recommend different proportions and additions but the technique remains the same.

Here’s my secret technique for making the best Aglio e Olio. Traditional preparation usually begins by sautéing thinly sliced garlic cloves in olive oil. Unfortunately, they often accidentally overcook resulting in bitter oil and garlic. If undercooked, garlic doesn’t properly sweat and remains sharp and strong.

Mine incorporates the same ingredients but starts with a base of “Pete’s Garlic Oil”. Garlic is slow simmered in olive oil seasoned with salt and crushed red pepper flakes. Like oven roasting, it creates sweet, tanned, and tender garlic. Seasoned olive oil becomes garlic infused with a touch of heat from red pepper flakes.

Very simple and easy, rough garlic tips are removed, and cloves are sliced in half lengthwise. Cloves and their skins (skins contribute flavor) are submerged in a pot of seasoned olive oil and slow simmered stove top. That becomes a great flavorful base for Aglio e Olio. It is ready when garlic is richly tanned, skins released and removed. Pot roasted garlic can be made well ahead and reheated.

Once pasta is cooked al dente and drained, it’s tossed with the garlic and flavored oil and remaining few ingredients; never biter and remarkable tasty.

Remove rough ends and slice garlic cloves half lengthwise. Do not remove skins.

Place in a narrow stainless-steel butter melting pot with all remaining garlic oil ingredients. Place pot over medium heat until oil begins to simmer; lower heat to retain a gentle simmer.

Garlic will be ready when skins fall off, garlic tans and softens inside (up to 2 hours). Garlic will be sweet and tender.

Place pasta in a pot with a generous amount of rapidly boiling water and 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Cook pasta al dente, chewy (about 5 minutes). Reserve 1 ½ cup pasta cooking water. Drain pasta.

Place pasta back in the empty water pot. Mix contents of the garlic and oil pot, grated or thinly shredded parmigiana cheese, and enough pasta water to create desired creaminess. Place in a serving platter and sprinkle with parsley.

Serve with extra parmigiana and crushed red pepper flakes.

Options:

Anchovies, many Italians enjoy adding the salty and pungent taste of anchovy to their Aglio e Olio. Before adding drained pasta to the empty pasta pot, sauté anchovies with some olive oil. Using a spatula, move anchovies around until they fall apart. Toss with pasta and remaining ingredients including pasta water as instructed above.
Sprinkle and toss with seasoned breadcrumbs and additional pasta water.

Sauté garlic and olive oil in a pan with high sides. Discard garlic when soft and flavors released.

Toss shrimp over medium heat until almost cooked through. Remove shrimp and set aside.

Sauté tomato until cubes break down. Simmer with pesto until warmed through. Turn off heat.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a brisk boil, add pasta. When cooked al dente (chewy), reserve a cup of pasta water. Strain pasta.

Reheat tomato and pesto. Add shrimp and warm through. Do not overcook. Toss with pasta and some of the pasta water to create desired sauce. Serve.

Optional, garnish with thin sliced fresh basil.

Remove rough garlic clove end; slice each clove in half lengthwise. Do not remove skins.

Place in a narrow stainless-steel butter melting pot with all remaining garlic oil ingredients. Over medium heat until oil begins to simmer; lower heat to retain a gentle simmer.

Garlic will be ready when skins fall off, garlic tans and softens inside (up to 2 hours). Garlic will be sweet and tender (like roasted garlic). Remove garlic skins and herbs if fresh.

Cut thighs into bite size pieces. Coat with some of the garlic and herb infused olive oil; cover and refrigerate. In about an hour, sear chicken in a hot pan. Add more flavored oil if needed. Remove cooked chicken.

In the same pan, bring broth to a boil add pasta and cover. Adjust heat to protect from boiling over. Periodically uncover to stir pasta. Add additional broth from a small small can if needed.

When pasta is cooked al dente, remove cover and add chicken. Continue boiling until remaining broth is mostly evaporated. Lower heat and combine with all remaining contents of the pot of Garlic Oil.

Dish is wonderfully flavorful as is but can be offered with red pepper flakes.

Although graded Parmigiana cheese can also be passed, I find it a distraction that overpowers the already delicious and complex flavors of the dish.

This is a variation of the popular Italian dish “Orecchiette Pasta with Broccoli Rabe”. Pasta is tossed with rabe and generous amounts of Parmigiana, Garlic and Olive Oil.

Mine uses a base of pot roasted garlic submerged in olive oil, with herbs, kosher salt, and red pepper flakes. Besides ample amounts of parmigiana, dish is additionally flavored with sausage, and characteristic Orecchiette is replaced with imported pappardelle, wide and long noodles (other pasta shapes can also be substituted). Reserved pasta water helps create an easy sauce.

The dish pictured was made with turkey sausages but can also be made with Italian pork sausages or sausage meat without casing.

Prepare Pete’s Garlic and Olive Oil using proportions above.

Fill pasta pot with water and a generous amount of kosher salt. Place over high heat. When water reaches a rapid boil, stir in pasta. When cooked al dente, reserve a large coffee cup of pasta water. Strain and set pasta aside.

Meanwhile, rinse broccoli. Discard about an inch of their stems. Trim and discard some of their outermost, sometimes bitter large leaves.

Beginning with its bouquet, cut remaining leaves, rabe florets and stems into 1 ½ inch pieces.

Using an uncovered pot large enough to accommodate sausages in a single layer, bring chicken broth to a boil. Add rabe; will shrink as it’s cooking. When just tender remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.

Place sausages single layer in the remaining broth. If needed, add additional broth up to about 3/4 of the thickness of sausages. Boil while occasionally rotating sausages. When evaporated, add some of the oil from the garlic oil and partly brown sausages and remove pot from heat. When cool enough to the touch, slice sausages 3/8 inches thick being sure to save all sausages and drippings in the pot with remaining cooking oil.

Place par boiled rabe, all contents of the sausage and the garlic and oil pots in the empty pasta pot. Reheat contents while mixing. Toss with the pappardelle. Add about half of the parmigiana while drizzling with pasta water to taste and creaminess. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with extra grated parmigiana cheese.

Extra large wild caught shrimp is mixed with our incredible one pot sauce of garlic, scallions, lemon, butter, olive oil and is lightly seasoned with salt and pepper. Shrimp is placed on roasting tray, drenched with remaining sauce and quick broiled on both sides.

Delicious slightly charred shrimp along with every bit of additional intense flavors from scampi sauce and rendered shrimp juices are tossed with linguini. This creating one of the most remarkable intense pasta dishes ever.

Photo, jumbo shrimp, 16-29 per pound.

These proportions will comfortably serve 4

Remove shrimp shells, with or without tail section on and devein. Rinse in cold water and pat dry. Set them aside.

In a pot, large enough to comfortably hold all the shrimp and sauce, melt the butter over low heat. Add olive oil lemon juice, scallions, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cool to warm or room temperature.

Pre-heat the broiler.

Bring salted water to a rapid boil. Cook pasta until al dente; strain and return to the empty pot.

Meanwhile generously coat the shrimp in the sauce. Place them in a rimmed cookie sheet large enough to hold them in a single layer. (Tip, line them in rows to make it easier to flip them over with a long narrow spatula after their top side is broiled). Evenly spread the scampi sauce over the shrimp.

Broil them close to the heat for about three minutes or until the tops are pink but not cooked through. Flip them over and broil briefly until just cooked through. Be careful not to overcook.

Pour entire contents of scampi tray with linguini. Toss and serve.

Prepare Pete’s Garlic and Oil as instructed above.

Bring a large pot of water with 2 tablespoons of Kosher salt to a rapid boil. Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water and drain. Return to pot to keep warm.

Meanwhile in a separate pot, sauté the shrimp briefly with infused oil from “Pete’s Garlic and Oil”. Remove shrimp when pink and almost cooked through (shrimp will have a quick second cooking).

Add the frozen peas and stir until just defrosted. Stir in and heat through the remaining contents of Pete's Garlic Oil including the pot roasted garlic, the pesto, shrimp, and olive bruschetta (or tapenade).

Combine and toss pasta and sauce. Add parmigiana to taste. Finish by adding pasta water a little at a time to create desired consistency and serve.

This is one of Nancy's favorite. Rigatoni and slow simmered garlic in flavored olive oil combined with pancetta and parmigiana, accompanied with “Chicken Milanese and Asiago Cheese”.

Traditional Pasta Aglio e Olio, pasta with garlic and oil, is usually prepared with sliced garlic sautéed in olive oil is replaced with Pete’s Garlic Oil, recipe above.

It's generally made fresh and requires care to not to burn the garlic. Even if not overcooked, garlic can develop a bite. This component can be prepared well ahead and finished relatively quickly.

Cubed and sautéed pancetta, salt cured Italian bacon, is added at the end along with grated parmigiana cheese. The dish is finished with a small amount of the water used to cook the pasta to enhance the sauce.

This delicious pasta dish can simply be served alone or served as an interesting side dish to with any variety of meats or fish like Chicken Milanese shown above, with Ritz Cracker Stuffed Shrimp on the side, or something as simple as chicken meatballs for a family dinner at home.

Place the pasta in a pan of rapidly salted boiling water. Follow directions for cooking the pasta al dente. Reserve a cup of the pasta water and strain.

Place Chicken Milanese on a cookie sheet and top with Asiago cheese.

Place some of the garlic oil in the dry pasta pot and cook pancetta until lightly browned. Pour the pot of Pete's Garlic Oil in with the pancetta and reheat. Mix the pasta in with the sauce. When incorporated and reheated, quickly stir in the grated parmigiana. Stir in about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water and remove from heat. Add additional pasta water to achieve desired moisture, sauce consistency.

Meanwhile, quickly melt Asiago cheese in a preheated broiler. Serve pasta topped with chicken garnished with chopped parsley, offered with extra parmigiana cheese.

This bold shrimp and pasta dish blends two delicious complementary and intense sauces, Garlic and Olive Oil, and Pesto. Fortunately, many store-bought pesto sauces sold in jars are quite good making, this seemingly complex dish quite easy to prepare.

Pete’s Garlic and Olive Oil produces mild flavored garlic, with flavor infused oil. Pesto adds complexity. Combined, they form an incredible standalone sauce. Adding shrimp takes it to an even higher level.

In Italy, pasta is considered first course. Except on traditional Sundays and special occasions, we often ate pasta as our main meal. I intentionally make this dish with a higher proportion of shrimp and sauce to pasta. You can increase the amount of pasta to accommodate a larger crowd.

Prepare Pete’s Garlic and Oil as instructed above.

Bring a large pot of water with 2 tablespoons of Kosher salt to a rapid boil. Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve a large cup of pasta water and drain. Return to pot and cover to help keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a separate pot sauté the shrimp briefly with infused oil from “Pete’s Garlic and Oil”. Remove and reserve shrimp when pink and almost cooked through (shrimp will have a quick second cooking).

Mash the soft tanned garlic cloves from Peter's garlic oil in a separate dish with a folk. Add with remaining infused oil, pesto, shrimp and about ¼ cup of the pasta water into the large cooking pan. Mix well over moderate heat. Stir in the pasta, fresh basil, and parmigiana cheese. Add parmigiana to taste and more of the hot pasta water to achieve desired consistency and creaminess.

Serve with grated parmigiana cheese and hot red pepper flakes on the side.

Another favorite pasta recipe that also begins with Pete’s pot roasted garlic and spiced garlic infused oil. We often make this dish in a large electric pan and serve it family style for casual dinners or luncheons. Flavors are simple and bold.

To insure super moist chicken, you can quick brine thighs in a bowl with 1/4 cup of kosher salt mixed well with a quart of cold water. Refrigerate for about an hour. Rinse and dry.

Pancetta can be purchased custom sliced, also available packaged cubed in some stores.

Picture shows dish topped with extra grated parmigiana cheese.

Fill pasta pot with water and a generous amount of kosher salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer until ready to cook pasta.

Trim broccoli head and remove florets. Cut larger ones in half lengthwise. Steam broccoli with chicken broth covered until florets are cooked through but still have a “bite”. Remove broccoli and set aside. With cover off, evaporate broth.

Add enough garlic infused olive oil to sauté chicken while flipping. When just cooked through, also set aside. Sauté pancetta until lightly browned. Remove pan from heat.

Add pasta to rapidly boiling salted water. Once pasta is cooked al dente, reserve a large coffee cup with pasta water; strain pasta.

Reheat pancetta with chicken, and broccoli. Add pasta and the remainder of the contents of the garlic oil pot. Sprinkle and mix with most of the parmigiana cheese. Create a sauce by slowly adding pasta water until dish is moist but not soupy. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and add additional water if needed (moisture tends to get absorbed).

Serve with extra grated parmigiana cheese on the side. Enjoy.

Assemble and simmer ½ recipe Pete’s Garlic Oil.

Sauté spinach in ¼ cup of the olive from Pete’s Garlic Oil in a pan large enough to hold all ingredients. Remove spinach to a holding dish when wilted and secreted liquid is evaporated.

Sautee sausages or sausage meat adding more garlic oil if needed. If using sausage meat, use a spatula to break apart while browning. Remove to the holding plate when just cooked through. If using sausages, when cool enough to handle, slice them.

Bring salted pasta water to a boil in a large pot. Cook pasta al dente; strain and reserve.

Meanwhile, add a cup of chicken broth to the cooking pan along with ricotta and fontina. As cheeses melt, add more broth as needed to form a light and creamy sauce. Toss with pasta.

Stir in the remaining contents from Pete’s Garlic Oil (garlic infused olive oil, pot roasted garlic and spices), spinach, sausage and grated parmigiana. Garlic cloves will disintegrate when mixing. Add more broth as needed for a smooth and moist consistency. Have extra grated parmigiana available.

LuciaTramonte.com

LuciaTramonte.com

Pasta with Pot Prepared Garlic and Oil Sauces