Another classic, this one Roman, that simply cannot be omitted; to do so would be a huge disservice to beginners. This is a great snack, late-night meal, or starter. For variety, toss in a couple of tablespoons of toasted fresh bread crumbs (page 580) or start with a few anchovy fillets along with the garlic and chile.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 4 servings

　　Salt to taste

　　1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

　　2 tablespoons minced garlic

　　1 or more small dried red chiles or hot red pepper flakes to taste, optional

　　1 pound linguine, spaghetti, or other long, thin pasta

　　Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

　　

Step 1

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Combine the oil, garlic, chile if desired, and a large pinch of salt in a small skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the garlic turns light gold, about 5 minutes, then remove from the heat or turn it to an absolute minimum; the garlic should not brown, or at least not much.

　　

Step 2

Cook the pasta until it is tender but not mushy, then drain it; reserve a bit of the cooking water. Toss the pasta with the sauce, adding a little more oil or some of the cooking water if necessary. Garnish and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.