Braciola di Maiale con Pasta Aglio Olio means Garlic Oil Pasta with Pork Chop. I know I could have just called it garlic oil pasta but where’s the fun in that! (But then again, I don’t really know Italian so this could be very poorly translated.)

Ingredients

For Pork Chop

• 2 Pork Chops
• Butter
• Salt
• Pepper
• Sprigs of Thyme

For Aglio Olio

• 200g Spaghetti (Any other pasta will do)
• 4 cloves of Garlic, thinly sliced
• Generous amounts of Olive Oil
• Chilli Flakes (I used leftovers from Domino’s Pizza)
• White Wine
• Parmesan
• Parsley

Instructions

1. We will start with preparation of the Aglio Olio first! Boil a pot of water and mix in some olive oil and salt. Then, stick your pasta in.
2. Let the pasta cook until it becomes limp but not brittle.
3. Drain the pasta but keep half a cup of Pasta water.
4. Heat some olive oil over medium heat on a pan that can hold your pasta.
5. Add your sliced garlic cloves in. Let them cook until lightly browned on the outside. This should take around 2 minutes.
6. Add in your chilli flakes and cook for 30 seconds more.
7. Add your reserved pasta water and bring it to boil.
8. Add some salt and some white wine. Simmer for about 5 minutes, reducing it by a third.
9. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss. Make sure to get the oil all over the pasta.
10. Take the pan off the heat and add in your parmesan and parsley.
11. Let the pasta rest for about 5 minutes to fully absorb the sauce.
12. While the pasta is resting, it is time to start preparing the pork chop! Start by seasoning it with salt and pepper.
13. You can use the same pan to pan fry this pork chop so the garlic sauce residue can help add to the pork chop’s flavour. Heat it up and add a few globs of butter.
14. Throw in the pork chop and sear it.
15. Throw in some more butter and your thyme to make the pork chop extra juicy.
16. Cook the pork chop until it becomes lightly browned. To check if it is cooked, make a small incision to check the redness of the center.
17. Let the pork chop rest. Then, slice and serve on top of the Aglio Olio.
18. You can serve the Aglio Olio with some grilled cherry tomatoes for extra flavour! Enjoy!