Garlic and oil, the soul of pasta night, turns semolina vermicelli into something that tastes far better than its modest shelf. You need no more than what's in your kitchen already.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 700 calories a serving, 15 g protein, 88 g carbohydrate, 32 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Slice 4 cloves garlic thin. While the water heats, warm 1/4 cup oil in a small skillet over medium heat and add the garlic, stirring often, until pale gold and fragrant, about 3 minutes; do not let it brown.
2. Add the 8 oz vermicelli to the boiling water and stir once. Cook until just tender, about 3 minutes for angel hair, testing a strand at 2 minutes; drain into a colander.3 min
3. Transfer the hot pasta to a bowl and pour the garlic oil over it, scraping every bit from the skillet. Add salt and pepper to taste and toss well. Serve at once.

Note Swap garlic for a small dried chile, crumbled, if you want heat. Leftovers keep two days cold or reheated gently in a pan. Serve with bread to soak the oil, or toss with a handful of greens after plating.