Pleasure in simplicity: Spaghetti with Garlic and Olive Oil

I used to take pride in the fact that homecooked food has allowed me the freedom to add as much ingredients as I like. Think pizza. It's not a surprise that my homemade pizza is overladen with more than enough ingredients, bursting with too much taste that the flavours of some food are buried among others.

This spaghetti recipe is surprisingly minimalist, and handy when your fridge is empty. It is also recommended as a hangover dish, according to my Olive Oil cookbook by Tess Mallos.

Spaghetti with Garlic and Olive Oil
Serves two

125g dried spaghetti (about a handful)
1/4 cup (70ml) extra virgin olive oil
3-4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 finger-length red chili, thinly sliced, chopped (optional)
1 big tablespoons chopped parsley
salt and black pepper
canned anchovy fillet, to serve (optional)

Toasted breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons soft white breadcrumbs

Prepare the toasted breadcrumbs first by heating olive oil and tossing the breadcrumbs over medium heat until golden and crisp. Takes just 1-2 minutes. Set aside.

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to boil and cook the dried pasta until just tender. Remove from heat and toss with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Cover and set aside. It must be ready to use immediately after the next step.

Heat remaining olive oil and saute the garlic and chili over medium heat until fragrant and just golden. Do not overcook. Remove from heat and immediately pour into the pan with the spaghetti. Add parsley, salt and pepper to taste and toss until well blended.

Transfer to serving bowls and top with anchovy fillets and serve with the toasted breadcrumbs.

The toasted breadcrumbs may be optional, but they really make the pasta taste better. The chili is considered as the hangover cure.

Fresh parsley is always preferred to dried ones, but my pot of parsley is half dying, so have to use dried ones so that I don't kill my half-dead but still surviving parsley.