Spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino can be served with a fresh, light, still white wine like Frascati doc, a Tuscan Trebbiano or a white Pinot from Alto Adige.
Garlic, oil, and chilli spaghetti
As it is a quick and easy dish to make, spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino is one of the most popular dishes when dining with friends in Italy.
Chef Danilo Angè
Difficulty: easy
Method: 5
Cooking: 15
Chef Danilo Angè
Difficulty: easy
Method: 5
Cooking: 15
Method
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01 / Prepare the garlic and chilli pepper
Peel the garlic
Cut it in half and remove the germ
Chop the garlic
Chop the chilli
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02 / Cook the pasta
Drop the spaghetti into boiling salted water
Stir immediately
Let them cook with the water still boiling, stirring occasionally
Check while cooking, as the spaghetti should be “al dente”
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03 / Prepare the sauce
Put a pot on the fire of the right size to season the pasta
Add the extra virgin olive oil
Add the chopped garlic and chilli pepper
Sauté until the garlic is a light colour without burning it
Stop the cooking process by adding a little pasta cooking water
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04 / Complete cooking the pasta
Drain the pasta, remember to cook it “al dente”
Put it in the pan with the sauce and leave some cooking water
Allow it to flavour quickly, creating an emulsion with the oil and pasta water
Add the chopped fresh parsley and turn off the heat
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05 / Serving
Arrange the spaghetti on serving plates
Finish with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley
Wine pairing
Spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino is a very quick dish to make so it should be prepared as close to the serving time as possible.
Do not burn the garlic: pay attention to its cooking and use a trickle of water to stop so it does not burn.
Balance the chilli with the garlic: do not use too much or you will cover the whole taste with its spiciness.
Remember that pasta is eaten al dente in Italy! Taste the spaghetti while it is cooking to avoid spoiling the result.
Do not drain the pasta completely: a little cooking water allows blending the spaghetti well and achieving a creamy dish.
Do not serve overcooked pasta: serve the pasta as soon as it is placed on the serving dishes.
If you have leftovers: remember to calculate the right amount of pasta so none is left over the next time but if you do, place it in the fridge and sauté it in a pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil the following day.
As it is a quick and easy dish to make, spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino is one of the most popular dishes when dining with friends in Italy.
Traditionally, large spaghetti is used, but it is possible to use any size you like, as long as the pasta is artisan-made and of excellent quality! The roughness, obtained by drying the pasta slowly, by using a bronze die also from the special grains, release the amount of starch necessary for the final mix (the “mantecatura“) before serving.
Use fresh garlic and remove the inner germ so it is more digestible; if you like the garlic to have less of a flavour, do not mince it but simply crush it.
Unlike many Italian recipes, this one does not need parmesan or other cheese.
Ingredients for 4 people
400 g of spaghetti
2 cloves of garlic
1 hot chilli pepper
A bunch of parsley
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Wine pairing
Spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino can be served with a fresh, light, still white wine like Frascati doc, a Tuscan Trebbiano or a white Pinot from Alto Adige.
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