Pasta with Garlic and Oil

I’m pretty sure this came from our friends Dana and Kristin Cummings from our Vermont days. Dana and Kristin are wonderful cooks, and this is delicious. Serves 4 to 6

For a twist on pasta with garlic and oil, try sprinkling roasted bread crumbs over individual bowls, but prepare them before proceeding with the pasta recipe. We like Maldon sea salt flakes for this dish, but ordinary table salt is fine as well.

1 pound spaghetti

salt (see note above)

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup minced garlic from 1 to 2 heads

3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon

1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan (optional)

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, set large heatproof serving bowl on rack and heat oven to 200 degrees. Bring 4 quarts of water to rolling boil, covered, in large Dutch oven or stockpot. Add pasta and 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt to boiling water, stir to separate pasta, cover, and cook until al dente; reserve 1/3 cup pasta cooking water and drain pasta.
2. While water is heating, combine 3 tablespoons oil, 3 tablespoons garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon table salt or sea salt flakes in heavy bottomed nonstick 10-inch skillet; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until garlic foams and is sticky and straw-colored, 10 to 12 minutes. Off heat, add remaining tablespoon raw garlic, red pepper flakes, parsley, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons pasta cooking water to skillet and stir well to keep garlic from clumping.
3. Transfer drained pasta to warm serving bowl; add remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and remaining reserved pasta cooking water and toss to coat. Add garlic mixture and 3/4 teaspoon table salt or 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes to pasta; toss well to combine. Serve immediately, sprinkling individual bowls with portion of Parmesan, if desired.