Pasta Bordelaise

The Italians call this pasta aglio olio. In New Orleans, it's pasta bordelaise, even though there's not a drop of red Bordeaux in it. We eat it as a side dish to all sorts of things, from stuffed crabs to panneed veal. We also make a batch of it around our house when nobody has a strong idea what they want to eat.

• 1 pound angel hair pasta
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4-8 cloves garlic, chopped
• 6 sprigs parsley, leaves only, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1/4 tsp. oregano
• 1/4 tsp. salt

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil with a tablespoon of salt dissolved in it. Cook the pasta for about four minutes, leaving it "al dente"--firm to the tooth. Drain the pasta, but save about 1/4 cup of the water.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet until it shimmers. Add the other ingredients except the pasta and cook until the garlic smells good.

3. Add 3 Tbs. of water from the pasta pot and whisk to blend.

4. Turn the heat off and add the pasta, tossing it with a fork to coat with the sauce.

5. Divide among the plates and serve with grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, or Grana Padano.

Serves four main courses or eight sides.