Pasta Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino
What better way to jumpstart a blog that has pasta in it’s name than with a pasta recipe?
Of course, I’ll already add in some history as well.
Did you know that dried pasta was probably introduced to Italians by the Arabs? As early as the 9th century, dried pasta recipes appear in Arabic collections. The invention of dried pasta was very useful for transportation (it didn’t go bad!) and because of that, it was a great food source while travelling by trade routes through the deserts. Source
This simple recipe also largely consists of ingredients with a long shelf life, including dried pasta. It’s one of my favourites and so quick and easy that -in my opinion- everyone should be able to make it (as long as you like lots of garlic).
Pasta Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino
Servings 2
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil extra vierge
- 200 grams long pasta I like spaghetti or linguine
- 0.5 teaspoon chili flakes or more if you like spicy
- 2-3 (or 4) cloves garlic finely chopped. I don't recommend using a garlic press
- 10 grams parsley stems removed and finely chopped
- 40 grams parmigiano reggiano or grana padano (optional) grated
- 4 tblsp salt
- black pepper to taste
Notes
Method:
Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package (al dente). Before you add the pasta to the boiling water, add four generous tablespoons of salt.
Add the olive oil to a cold pan and add the chopped garlic and chili flakes. Heat the pan to medium low and slowly toast it until the garlic gets lightly browned. The idea of starting with cold olive oil is to slowly infuse it with the garlic and chili flavour, without browning the garlic too much. If this process happens too fast, reduce the heat to low.
When the pasta is cooked al dente, drain it and stir it in with the olive oil-garlic-chili mixture until the pasta is fully coated.
Remove from the heat, add in the parsley, black pepper and cheese (the last step is optional).
Sprinkle over some extra parsley and serve immediately!
Notes:
Sometimes I like to add toasted breadcrumbs/panko and lemon zest.
Don’t throw away the parsley stems: they’re great for making stock!