Olio Aglio Peperoncino

“Olio Aglio” – the name of this blog and I think the two most important ingredients in my kitchen, olive oil and garlic. I use them preparing almost every dish.

So what better way to start than with something where those two ingredients play the lead and something super simple at the same time?

Olio Aglio Peperoncino is the dish I make when the fridge is empty and when I have little time. I always have the necessary ingredients for this one at home and it takes about 10 minutes to make.  

U need (serves 2-3)

Spaghetti (I am not going to tell you how much, because who am I to say how much pasta you should eat…)

1 red chili pepper (peperoncino)

6-8 cloves of garlic (aglio)

Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)

Olive oil (olio)

Salt (for the pasta)

How to make it

Start with (finely) chopping up the garlic and chili pepper and grating the parmesan cheese. Then start boiling the pasta (in salted water of course). In the meantime heat up some olive oil (quite a bit actually, the pepper and garlic need to “swim in it”) on a frying pan and put the garlic and pepper in it. Make sure that the garlic does not burn or turn brown, because then it becomes bitter and practically uneatable. So simmer that (stirring!) for about 10 minutes on a low fire, while the pasta cooks. Once the spaghetti is ready, strain it and mix it with the olive oil, garlic and chili pepper. Serve this pasta with quite a bit a grated parmesan cheese.

Don’t forget to “clean” the pan and your plate with a piece of nice ciabatta! This is called “pucciare” and is one of the most important rituals when eating pasta with a sauce (or anything with a sauce) :)