Blanch the garlic

• Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil and add salt.
• Add the halved garlic cloves and cook for about 6 minutes, until completely tender.

Make the garlic cream

• Drain the garlic, reserving its cooking water.
• Place the softened garlic in a tall blending container.
• Add about 30 ml of the garlic-cooking water, 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil, a small pinch of salt and a pinch of parsley.

Blend the cream

• Blend with an immersion blender until completely smooth and creamy.
• Add a little more water if necessary to reach a creamy consistency.

Cook the spaghetti

• Cook the spaghetti in well-salted boiling water.
• Remove it about 2 minutes before al dente, reserving plenty of pasta water.

Prepare the pan

• In a large skillet, gently heat the remaining olive oil with the red-pepper flakes and half of the parsley.
• Keep the heat low so the seasonings release their flavor without burning.

Finish the pasta

• Transfer the undercooked spaghetti directly into the skillet.
• Add one ladle of pasta water and continue cooking, tossing and stirring vigorously.
• Add the garlic cream and keep tossing until the sauce emulsifies and becomes shiny and creamy.
• Add more pasta water gradually if the sauce becomes too thick.

Serve

• Turn off the heat, add the remaining fresh parsley and toss again.
• Plate immediately and finish with a small drizzle of good extra-virgin olive oil.