Garlic-Cayenne Pasta

It's been about two weeks since I've entered the adult world, and I think I like it. It's hard keeping a balance between work and free time, especially when you're trying to budget your money. So here's a simple dinner I prepared for myself and my friends. how simple, you ask? Simple enough that I had the energy to cook this dish after a two hour workout at the gym.

Here's what you'll need:
Olive oil
Garlic (I use a few heads, because my taste buds have adapted after 18 years in a South Asian household)
Salt/Pepper
Cayenne Pepper (Can you handle it?)
Pasta (I used this protein-enriched kind to convince myself I was being kinda healthy)
Parmesan Cheese (Yeah, I'm not being healthy)

This is my absolute favorite thing to do when cooking. Roasting garlic. Cut the tops off of the garlic heads, so the cloves are exposed, drizzle some olive oil on them, and sprinkle with salt. Traditionally, at this point, I would wrap the heads in aluminum foil. As I am not fully an adult yet, and do not splurge on luxuries such as thin sheets of metal, I stuck them in the oven as is. Unfortunately, with this method, the garlic cooks unevenly, resulting in a mixture of perfectly roasted garlic as well as crispy garlic chips. Fortunately, I thought the garlic chips made for an excellent snack.

Carefully remove the soft cloves from the thin peels and place them in a bowl. You'll want to make sure your exhaust fan is on, because it is a strong aroma. Combine with about a quarter cup of olive oil, some cayenne and black pepper, and combine until the cloves are mashed and fully integrated into the lipids. #highschoolbiologyvocab

Oh, yeah. Pasta. Boil water, salt until it tastes like the ocean, add the pasta. You know the drill. Wait until the pasta is al dente. If you're impatient like me, taste several pieces in the undercooked stage, be disappointed that it's not done yet and you just ate something that tastes like cardboard, and repeat this process two minutes later.

When you finally have properly cooked pasta, drain. I got my super-awesome, super-strong workout buddy to drain the pasta into a colander in the sink while I stood back, squealing like a little girl every time the colander began to tip. No pasta was lost in the making of this recipe. Put the pasta back in the pot, back on the stove, so it stays warm.

Add the spicy oil mixture and adjust seasoning to taste. Which for me, means adding several more dashes of cayenne. YAY SPICES.
Also. The best part. CHEESE. Throw the whole tub in there, mix it around until every single, solitary piece of pasta is ooey-gooey and attached by a string of milk fat to at least three more juxtaposing pieces. YUM.

Yes, yes. I know this isn't as colorful as my last recipe, and Alex Guarnachelli from Chopped would probably be very disappointed in my presentation, but hey. I'm not on TV (yet). So here's to a quick, easy, but flavorful post workout meal. If you don't mind gaining back a few calories.