• Fast

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup olive oil
2. 3 cloves garlic, minced
3. 1/8 teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes (optional)
4. 2/3 pound mushrooms, sliced
5. 1 teaspoon salt
6. 1 pound spaghettini
7. 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
8. 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a medium frying pan, heat the olive oil over moderately low heat. Add the garlic and the red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the garlic softens, about 1 minute. Add the sliced mushrooms and the salt and cook until the mushrooms exude liquid, the liquid evaporates, and the mushrooms begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the spaghettini until just done, about 9 minutes. Drain and toss with the mushroom mixture, the parsley, and the pepper.

Notes

Variations

Spaghettini with Garlic and Oil

Eliminate the mushrooms and reduce the oil to 7 tablespoons. Just cook the garlic and red-pepper flakes for a minute and toss with the remaining ingredients.

Spaghettini with Walnuts, Garlic, and Oil

Eliminate the mushrooms and reduce the olive oil to 7 tablespoons. At the end, toss in 2/3 cup of toasted and chopped walnuts.

Spaghettini with Salami, Garlic, and Oil

Eliminate the mushrooms and reduce the olive oil to 7 tablespoons. Cut 1/4 pound of sliced salami into thin strips and toss it into the spaghettini with the parsley and black pepper.