Pasta aglio e olio – with a difference

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 500 g tagliatelle pasta
• 12 small cherry tomatoes
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 bunch of basil
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 2 chili peppers, e.g. pepper or jalapeno
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp vegetable stock powder
• some pasta water
• 50 g Parmesan, grated
• 100 ml olive oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 50 minutes

Boil the pasta water, add plenty of salt, and cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Finely slice the garlic, place it in a mortar and pestle, and season lightly with salt. After about five minutes, it should be easy to crush into a paste. If you don’t have a mortar, you can finely chop the garlic with a knife. However, the paste adds more flavor. Finely chop the tomatoes, basil, parsley, and chilies and place everything in a bowl with the garlic. Add the oregano, vegetable stock, and about two ladles of the pasta water, mix well, and let stand for at least two minutes. The mixture should taste slightly salty; then it’s just right. Drain the pasta and briefly toss it in a hot pan, add the seasoning mix, and after briefly stirring, add the Parmesan cheese and mix everything again. Remove the pasta from the heat and only then stir in the olive oil. It’s important not to overheat the ingredients. This preserves the flavor of all the components! Garnish with some basil, cherry tomato halves, and some shaved Parmesan cheese and enjoy. Note: The quantities are a matter of taste, of course, and can be adjusted to your liking.