Bring salted water to the boil in a saucepan, add a tablespoon of olive oil, then cook the pasta.
Check the packet instructions for the type of pasta you're using, as it needs to come out of the boiling water 'al dente' and continue cooking in the frypan for extra flavour.
While the pasta is boiling, place a frypan on medium heat, add the olive oil and sauté the garlic slices (and chillies, if using) in the olive oil. The aim is to flavour the oil, while gently toasting the garlic slices without burning them.
Add a ladle of the pasta water into the oil (careful with this step as the oil would be hot and would splash a bit when you add the water). This step is important to stop the garlic from frying any further.
Remove the pasta from the boiling water, while still firm ('al dente'), and toss into the frypan with the olive oil and the garlic, adding more water if needed to coat the pasta.
Lower the heat a bit and gently cook the pasta in the frypan, tossing it frequently to prevent burning.
When the pasta is cooked to your liking, add the parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste and mix well to allow the parmesan to melt.
Add the thinly cut parsley to the pan and mix it in with the pasta.
Remove from the heat, divide into 2 plates.
Sprinkle with more parmesan, freshly ground pepper, and extra chilli flakes (if using).
Bon Appétit!
