Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

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Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the garlic and red pepper flakes once it is slightly glistening.
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Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil, then add coarse salt. This water is for cooking the spaghetti pasta.
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When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente (you can follow the instructions on the back of the bag or box so that the pasta is cooked to perfection). Set aside some pasta water in case you need to use it later.
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Remove the garlic cloves once they begin to turn lightly golden. If you have decided to mince the garlic and leave it in the sauce for an even stronger garlic flavor, then you need to turn off the oil so it does not burn, see our expert tips above for more information on this.
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Stir in the chopped parsley and a little salt and remove from heat if you haven't already.
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Drain the pasta, add it to the frying pan with the aglio e olio sauce and toss with the sauce until the pasta is evenly coated. You can add some of the reserved pasta water back in if the pasta is too dry.
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Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately.
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Extra step if desired: You can sprinkle the dish with additional parsley or grated Parmesan cheese (totally optional) and enjoy!