Ingredients
1 pound vermicelli
Salt
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
3 cloves garlic, crushed away from skins
6 scallions, whites and greens, cut into 3-inch pieces then shredded lengthwise
Pepper
20 leaves fresh basil (1 cup), cut or torn into a chiffonade
Directions
Cook vermicelli in salted water to al dente according to package directions; drain. Heat EVOO and butter with garlic over medium heat and cook garlic until it begins to soften, about 4-5 minutes. Remove garlic and raise heat. Fry the scallions in the seasoned EVOO for 3-4 minutes. Add well-drained pasta to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Toss the pasta liberally with the scallions and seasoned EVOO. Place a plate smaller than the pan down over the vermicelli and weight it with a few cans or a heavy skillet. Let the vermicelli brown and crisp up a bit. Remove the skillet and plate and invert onto a serving platter. Garnish with basil. Tip: when translated literally from the French, "chiffonade" means "made of rags." In culinary terms it means finely cut strips or ribbons of leafy vegetables or herbs. To chiffonade basil leaves, stack them, roll them up and slice across the vein.