Sue's Spaghetti Aglio Olio

December is not only the last month in the year. It is a holiday mood month. And the time when families come back to spend some time at their hometown or away at a relative's home overseas. I am lucky to have my sis, Sue who came home since last Saturday. She cooks. Deliciously. Today, she made pasta aglio olio for the family.

I love pasta and I certainly love clams. Imagine how fast I ate! Different from the saucy marinara, bolognese or carbonara, aglio olio is simple, and refreshing from the saucy pasta dishes. Lots of fresh flavours. I am starting to get addicted to this...

:: Recipe ::
Serves 4

1/2 box of Barilla spaghetti, cook as per instructions provided.
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
5 birds eye chili, finely chopped
1 cube ikan bilis (anchovies) stock for flavouring
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/3 carrot, chopped
1/2 tomato, chopped
about 1 small bowl of clams and prawns, cleaned
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
a dash of Italian herbs
a dash of black pepper
olive oil for cooking
A very simple and quick to cook recipe. Just perfect for busy people like me! Ofcourse, fresh herbs would certainly make the food taste much, much perfect! :-)
I am always unsure how much pasta should be cooked but, half a box would be enough for my family. I like my pasta al dante (almost cooked) rather than over cooked. However, you may notice many Asians prefer over cooked pasta. This is because we tend to associate pasta with noodles! :-)
I am hungry again by just blogging about this... Man! Look at those juicy clams! I think I should beg my sister to move back to Penang... just to eat her delicious food! Then again - I skipped gym today (and probably for the rest of the week while she's here) just to eat this! :-PHow to make this? Simple! Just follow the guideline below and you're just 15 minutes away from delicious pasta olio aglio... mama mia!

1. Heat pan with olive oil, fry the onions. Add tomatoes.
2. After 1 minute, add in clams and prawns and cover with lid for 5 minutes until clams open.
3. Add carrots, parsley, italian herbs, and fry to combine and cover the clams.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste and if it is too dry, add some water.
5. Toss the spaghetti in the pan, to cover and finally add in the bell pepper.
6. Place equal portions in 4 plates - do not cheat here and save more for yourself... I know it smells deliciously intoxicating but everyone wants it!
7. Serve immediately and, if you like, sprinkle some parmesan cheese to taste!