Click HERE for a little video featuring Curtis Stone. He takes the stand against adding oil to pasta as it cooks. I remember seeing a Good Eats episode where Alton Brown preached the same sermon. The boys are right, too. Sauce will adhere to pasta better when there’s a little stickiness to it. Oil and butter take that away, leaving you with sauce that tries desperately to hitch a ride to your mouth, but keeps sliding off!
Watch how Curtis serves it in the video, too. I’ve never taken his approach with cheese, but I assure you I will next time. I love the idea of parsley as well.
In Olive Oil’s defense, I do have to say that it’s quite healthy (eating a Mediterranean type diet is great for your heart and waistline) and should be invited to dinner frequently. A nice change of pace from serving spaghetti sauce with pasta is to simply boil your pasta as directed, then splash a litte olive oil over it after you’ve drained the water. Use your tongs to incorporate the olive oil throughout, making sure each strand is covered.
Coarsely chop fresh herbs and sprinkle generously. I like a combination of parsley, basil (love, love, love basil), and chives. Purists would slap me silly for not including oregano, but it detracts from my favorite child, basil. If chicken’s involved with the meal in any way, I add Rosemary. She is AMAZING with chicken. Truth be told, she’s another favored child.
Just experiment with the herbage and I won’t be the least bit mad at you if you prefer oregano to basil.
Another way to work olive oil into the meal is in the bread basket – or at least near it. Every now and again, when serving an Italian meal, I’ll bake, grill, or broil my bread unbuttered. Then, I take a great looking plate or platter and pour Extra Virgin Olive Oil into it. Then I grab my beloved pepper mill and ground fresh pepper into the oil – covering front to back, side to side.
We dip our pieces of bread into the oil then shove them into our faces.
Oddly enough, I’ve experimented with adding ground herbs to the oil as well, but still prefer the basic, simple pepper approach. I’ve never tried an Italian blend Olive Oil before, but it might just be sensational. I’m pretty sure I’d still prefer the pepper and regular Olive Oil, though. Strange, I just noticed that I keep capitalizing Olive Oil. I have no idea, whatsoever, why I do that. I guess I watched too much Popeye growing up (confession: I still do.). Part of my brain must think it’s an alias for Olive Oyl.
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