Pasta with Red Pepper Flakes

Though it's remarkably basic and simple, this was one of my favorite of Marsha's recipe creations. A bowl of this pasta plus a large green salad makes a great dinner. We usually made it without Kalamata olives (if only because the rest of the ingredients were readily on hand, so no trip to the store) but it was worth it whenever we added them. Don't stress it though. Even without olives, this is surprisingly delicious.

--1/2 lb Thin Spaghetti
--1/4 cup Water That the Spaghetti Cooked In
--1 tbsp Olive Oil
--1 tbsp Butter
--1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
--2 or 3 cloves of Garlic, minced
--1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
--Kosher Salt and fresh-ground Black Pepper
--1/2 cup Kalamata Olives, chopped (Optional)

Cook the pasta al dente. When you drain it, retain a small amount of the water it was cooked in. Preset the pasta in a serving bowl. The rest happens fast...

Heat a small frying pan on low-to-medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil and butter. When the butter has melted, add the red pepper flakes. After about 10 seconds, add the garlic. Saute the garlic for another 15 seconds or so, then immediately remove from heat and pour over the pasta (Times are approximate; just don't burn the garlic or dinner will taste awful!) Now toss the pasta with the oil, use some of the pasta water to add moisture and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss in the Parmesan cheese and Kalamata olives (optional), then serve.