Quick and easy, this delectable Spaghettini Italiano with Garlic, Chili, Oregano and Parmesan, has me wishing it was Meatless Monday everyday!
What is the meal that comes to mind if I ask you to name a dish that ‘takes you home’?
The recipe that immediately transports you to Grandma’s kitchen?
This is it for me.
It doesn’t look like much. A plate of pasta with some herbs, grated cheese and olive oil…
But this is the dish that takes me to Mema’s house.
Mema’s food was unpretentious, honest and homey. Her recipes were filled with haunting flavors that settled into my memory and never left.
Mema loved her hot peppers. The hotter, the better. And whenever my parents would bring her a massive bag of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, you’d think she won the lottery.
We were never at a loss for fried green pepper sandwiches, a plate of spaghetti, locally made Italian bread, a hand or two of Canasta, or details about the latest ‘Luke & Laura’ storyline…
And although my attempts to recreate the flavors of my childhood seem to fall short of the flavors in my mind, the effort is gratifying.
It’s important to have meals like this at the ready…
Dishes that are:
- Easy to prepare
- Quick
- Comforting
- Aromatic
- Savory and delicious
What’s ‘your dish’? I’d love to know!
Buon Appetito!
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Spaghettini Italiano with Garlic, Chili, Oregano & Parmesan
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Quick and easy, this delectable Spaghettini Italiano with Garlic, Chili, Oregano and Parmesan, has me wishing it was Meatless Monday everyday!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. spaghettini (thin spaghetti)
- sea salt
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves, sliced paper thin
- 2 – 3 dried chili peppers, seeded and crumbled, to taste
- 1 heaping Tbsp. dried oregano
- 3/4 – 1 cup grated Parmesan, divided
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water to al dente, about 6 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large pan over low heat, fry the garlic and chili peppers in the oil.
- Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the garlic begins to turn golden; the sauce is ready.
- Drain the pasta and transfer to the frying pan containing the sauce.
- Carefully stir the spaghettini, oregano and 3/4 cup Parmesan so that every strand is covered with sauce.
- Serve immediately.
- Top with a little more cheese and red pepper.
- Enjoy!
CIAO!
It’s the simple things in life, right Annie? Mema sounds like my kind of lady! I’ll always remember my Gram’s meatloaf! It was always delicious and she was always so proud to serve it up! Happy weekend!
Oh yes – Gram’s meatloaf! I can imagine there was nothing more comforting than that! Thank you, friend!
I understand what you’re saying about it not sounding like much. but I make a version of this dish all the time, and it’s fantastic. I serve it to guests and they always rave.
Sometimes simple is best! Thanks, Jeff!
So simple and so perfectly delicious! I love dishes like this where a few high quality ingredients combine to make something wonderful that is greater than the sum of its parts.
The meal that takes me back to my grandmother’s house is roast beef. She made it every Sunday and the smell outside the house as we approached was amazing. I make roast beef every week just so I can smell it in the house. It’s funny how connected food is to love and family.
Aww, I love that memory! And I too love the aroma of roast beef… It really doesn’t take much to resurrect sweet memories of our childhood, does it? A plate of pasta, roasted beef… we’re lucky. Thank you, Kelly.
Grandma cooking is a sacred thing which, if you’re very lucky, you get to share the kitchen with her. The lack of pretentiousness with these ingredients, not to mention those peppers, nails it perfectly. Thanks for sharing the memory, Annie.
It sure is… I am lucky to have such sweet memories of my grandmothers. Thanks, Bill.
I love this kind of delicious back pocket pasta recipe that you can make with pantry staples whenever the whim strikes! Can’t wait to try your recipe!
We need ’em! Back pocket pasta recipes are the best! Thanks, friend!
Another simple yet delicious recipe from you that has my taste buds excited for the kick of hot peppers in this dish! Delicious!
Thanks, Kevin!! That little bit of hot pepper takes it over the top! 🙂
Grandmas know how to cook, especially Italian ones! Love simple recipes like this one and I’ll have to try your recipe soon. My Grandma made the best roast chicken ever, so simple yet so delicious. Thinking I’ll make your Grandma’s recipe with my Grandma’s recipe for dinner one night this weekend 🙂
Send me that roast chicken recipe – I’d love it!! Thanks, friend!
I love simple meals like this, they are so full of flavor! looks amazing Annie!
Thank you, Manali!! 🙂
I could eat a whole giant plate of this and be so happy – easy, simple and delicious- my favorite dish, Annie. Just a few ingredients can make such a delicious dish – add a glass (or two or wine) and I’m all set. Don’t even get me started on Luke and Laura – remember when they were stuck on that stupid island!
Oh yeah – a glass of wine and this simple dish…Heaven. Hahahah! I remember! Loved Luke and Laura!!! Thanks, friend!
This is my kind of pasta, thin (more surface area to be coated with olive oil and cheese) and who can say no to the herbs and crushed hot peppers? Canasta? So awesome! Used to spend hours playing this game when I was young (before my teenage days actually). Long games:)
Yep – I played more canasta before I was 13 than any other game at my grams! Good times! Don’t you just love thin thin spaghetti?! Thanks, my friend!
This reminds me of a pasta my mom used to make us as kids, probably when we were out of everything else, lol. It was spaghetti, butter, parmesan and black pepper. We absolutely loved it. I wish we had some garlic and chili like yours. This dish, though simple, takes it to a new level. Love these simple classics! Take care!
It’s so easy to pull a delicious pasta dish together. I remember butter on pasta…love it! Thank you, my friend! 🙂
So simple and so so delicious! Loving this flavor combo- I want a plate of carbs ASAP 🙂
It’s the best way to eat! Simple and delicious! (And carbs don’t hurt! 😉 ) Thanks, friend! 🙂
Mema and I would have got along so well because you know how much I love General Hospital! I miss the good old Luke and Laura stories! I also love the simplicity of this dish. Isn’t it amazing how simple things like hot peppers and herbs can transport us back in time to visit treasured family memories?
Oh, you two would have gotten along big time!! This is really the kind of food I make for my family most often! Unless it’s a cream puff day on CCB – then cream puffs it is! 😉 Thanks, my friend!
Oh yum!! My mom’s aunt would make a focaccia pizza with grated potato baked into the crust, with a simple crushed tomato and onion topping. I can taste it just thinking about it. She thankfully wrote the recipe down, but it’s a total labor of love. So many steps and it takes awhile, but for special occasions that’s what we make. Plus it’s funny how vague some of the ingredients and steps are compared to now where we try and be as precise as possible. A different time!
Oh my!!! Have you shared that on your blog, yet? I need that focaccia pizza in my life! It sounds mouth watering! It really was a different time…however, I tend to cook that way (still) most of the time! 😉 hahahha! Thanks for stopping by, my friend!
Hmmm.. A meal that makes me think of home and my grandmother? That would have to be any kind of roast. She made the simplest, but best roast of EVERYTHING. Chicken, turkey, beef. All of it. Gimme. 🙂 Love that your grams loved hot peppers! I think her and I would have gotten along well, because I love peppers and completely agree – the hotter the better! This pasta looks heavenly, Annie! Such simple, but delicious flavors! I could definitely devour a big ‘ole bowl of this right now for breakfast!! Hope you are having a great start to the week! Cheers, doll. xoxo
Mmmm – now you’ve got me really hungry! I want all the roasts too! My meme loved her hot peppers – thinking about it makes me happy! Really adorable! We had a lovely Easter and now we’re planning for a family wedding this weekend…It’s a nice week! Thank you, my dear! Happy Monday! xoxo
I think I would have enjoyed your grandma’s cooking very, very much. I love chilies too! Food that reminds me of my grandparents is my favorite; for me anything flavored with cardamom reminds me of baking with my grandma :). This pasta looks wonderful! Have a great week!
You know, it wasn’t until just recently that I started enjoying foods with cardamom, and I love it! Thanks for stopping by, my friend!
Simply perfect! I could eat this every night of the week 🙂 For my grandma, it would be a roast of beef, cooking away in the oven in a cast iron skillet. Every Sunday afternoon when we would visit there was that heavenly smell!
Oh, that would be heavenly! Roast beef in a cast iron is divine!! Nothing like Gram’s cooking! Thanks, friend!!
Perfect for Meatless Monday Annie. My husband would be all over this dish! My favorite meal from my Gram was the big old Thanksgiving bird! I can still see her in the kitchen on all the major holiday opening the oven door to baste the turkey. She was the head honcho for all the holidays at our house! Happy Monday!
Ahhhh! I can just imagine that scene! Reminds me of my paternal Gram…she had a wall oven set at her eye level and I remember her opening it to check her always perfect lasagna! Great memories! They were indeed the head honchos!! Thanks, Mary Ann!
A classic pot roast and mashed potatoes takes me back to my Grandma’s kitchen, but I think if she made this pasta for me, it would remind me of her, too! What a gorgeous dish, Annie! Love the simple and classic flavors!
You know what’s funny about that – roast and mashed potatoes remind me of my mom! She makes the best potatoes! So happy you like this! Thank you, my friend!
I think your grandma and me would have got along just fine. I love chilies so much too; I think spice is addictive! Sometimes the simplest dishes are the best and this sounds wonderful! Definitely perfect for Meatless Monday, especially with some crusty olive oil and garlic bread. My dish? I think one of my favourite things ever is my mother’s turkey dinner with dressing and all the sides. I always enjoy that, especially on Christmas day. Can’t beat it!!And I always have extra dressing. Happy Monday to ya, my friend! Hope you have a great week! XOXO
And you and I would get along just fine in the dressing department! I always go in for seconds! 😉 While we were eating this, which is pretty often, I thought to myself – goodness, I could eat this every week! So good! Thank you, my friend! Have a great day! XOXO