Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Step 1

Get a large pot of water on the stove to boil over high heat.

Step 2

Salt the water until it tastes like the ocean. Basically not so salty you want to spit it out, but noticeably salty.

Step 3

Once the water is boiling, add the pasta to the pot and move on to the next step.

Step 4

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat.

Step 5

Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes to the oil and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the garlic is starting to turn lightly golden brown and is soft. Remove the garlic from the oil and reserve it.

Step 6

In a separate, large saute pan, preheat over medium-high to high heat. Add the butter and let it melt and start to sizzle.

Step 7

Season the shrimp with the Vampire Killer rub and put it into the hot melted butter. Cook for a few minutes until the shrimp is no longer opaque and it is pink on both sides.

Step 8

Remove from the heat, but reserve any liquid in the pan. We're about to use it.

Step 9

Reserve 1 1/2 cups of pasta water from the pasta pot, and then drain when the pasta is cooked al dente.

Step 10

In the pan with the olive oil, turn the heat back up to medium to medium-high and add in your drained, hot pasta. Toss with the olive oil to evenly coat.

Step 11

Pour in all the butter and liquid that was released when you cooked the shrimp, but don't add the shrimp yet. Just the liquid.

Step 12

Toss and stir until the shrimp liquid starts absorbing into the pasta.

Step 13

Start pouring in small amounts of the pasta water and continue to toss and stir the pasta around. The pasta will absorb the liquid as you stir.

Step 14

Keep adding more water, a little at a time, until a light sauce forms in the pan. You may not need the entire 1 1/2 cups. It depends on how much you cooked your pasta in the pot and how saucy you want your final result.

Step 15

Add the shrimp in and toss with the pasta. Remove from the heat and toss in the fresh chopped parsley and sprinkle with freshly shaved parmesan cheese. Add the reserved cooked garlic on top.