Quick and easy pasta flavored with garlic and the simple nuance of black pepper.

Garlic Pepper Spaghetti

Serves 3

When we were kids, my mom would often make basil pasta as a quick side dish for my brother and I. She would boil the pasta, drain it, then add butter, dried basil, ground black pepper and grated Pecorino. It was simple and we loved it, to be honest, I still love it.

This is an ode to that simple pasta dish of my childhood. Equally simple to make, here I’ve used olive oil and nutritional yeast to make a delicious vegan pasta dish. In all honesty, I did not set out to create a vegan pasta dish but, there were two popular food “trends” I wanted to try out. First, I bought some nutritional yeast because I was curious about its “cheesy” flavor and how it performed in a cooked dish. Second, I’ve been very against the idea of a literal one-pan cooking method for pasta but, after years of putting it off, I gave it a try with this dish.

Ingredients

Cooking liquid

1,500ml (7.5 c) water

7g dashima

3 T yondu or soy sauce

2 t kosher salt 

Flavored Oil

3 T olive oil

10 garlic cloves, sliced

1.5 t ground black pepper

1 t gochugaru

0.25 t MSG – optional

Spaghetti

500g (a little more than 1 lb) spaghetti

3 T nutritional yeast

2 T yondu or soy sauce

Recipe Know-how

1.      In a medium pot place all of the broth ingredients.

• Bring to a boil.

• Reduce to a simmer and partially cover.

• Simmer for 5 minutes.

Be careful as the pot may boil over if fully covered.

• Remove from heat and keep warm.

2.      In a large pan with a lid, at least 30cm (12 in) wide, place the olive oil and garlic.

• Heat over medium-low for 3 – 5 minutes or until the garlic is beginning to turn a light golden color.

• Add the pepper, gochugaru and MSG and toast for 45 seconds.

• Increase the heat to medium-high.

• Add the spaghetti and 400ml (2 c) of the broth.

• Cover and cook for 2 minutes.

• Add another 400ml (2 c) of the broth tossing well before covering and cooking for another 2 minutes.

• Uncover and tossing continually add the broth in 100ml (0.50 c) intervals as needed until fully absorbed for the next 3 minutes.

At this point, the spaghetti should be almost al dente.

• Add the nutritional yeast and yondu along with another 100ml (0.50 c) of broth.

• Toss frequently until well incorporated, adding additional broth as needed to cook the pasta to al dente (2 – 3 minutes) and to make a silky not to thick sauce.

The sauce is ready when silky but a little thin, it will thicken quickly while plating and eating.

If you prefer your pasta softer cook longer.

• Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary adding broth as necessary.

The broth makes more than needed, do not feel you need to use all of the broth.

3.      Serve immediately on warmed plates or bowls with freshly ground pepper on top.