Name: Fettuccine aglio e olio with sun-dried tomatoes
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 17 min
Ingredients: 200 grams spaghetti ((or the usual amount you’d cook for four)); salt; 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 4 tablespoons minced garlic; 4 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes; juice of half a lemon; 1 small handful roughly chopped parsley; 1 small handful finely sliced basil; grated Parmesan cheese (to serve)

Fettuccine aglio e olio with sun-dried tomatoes

Pasta agio e olio is good but sun-dried tomatoes add another dimension of flavor that makes it even better. The bright red bits make the dish more visually appealing too.

Sun-dried tomatoes are just regular tomatoes that have been dried under the sun to remove the water. So what you get is pure tomato flavor.

In the grocery, this Italian cooking ingredient is sold dried or soaked in olive oil usually with added herbs and spices. If you get the kind soaked in oil, you may use the flavor-packed oil in lieu of plain olive oil to make this pasta dish.

Fettuccine aglio e olio with sun-dried tomatoes in pan

A tip: While it is always the best practice to add salt to the water in which the pasta will cook, in the case of pasta aglio e olio, you need to add more salt than usual. The pasta will just be tossed in the garlicky oil after it cooks. It will not simmer in sauce where it will finish cooking. So, flavor it generously.

So, “salted water” in the cooking instructions doesn’t mean water with a pinch of salt added to it. I mean, really salted water — like one tablespoon salt for every liter and a half of water.