{"id":3019,"date":"2017-11-08T09:00:17","date_gmt":"2017-11-08T16:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/villasentieri.com\/?post_type=recipe&p=3019"},"modified":"2026-09-02T10:58:50","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T17:58:50","slug":"spaghetti-aglio-olio-pepperoncino","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/2017\/11\/08\/spaghetti-aglio-olio-pepperoncino\/","title":{"rendered":"Spaghetti Aglio, Olio, e Pepperoncino (Spaghetti with Garlic, Oil and Red Pepper)"},"content":{"rendered":"

November 8, 2017<\/span><\/p>\n

How many Italian pasta sauces can you think of that do not include olive oil and garlic?<\/p>\n

Precious few, I would guess!<\/p>\n

This dish, classically Roman, elevates those two ingredients to center stage. You cannot hide bad olive oil or poorly cooked garlic in this dish. There are very few other flavors.<\/p>\n

But simplicity has its virtues. It\u2019s really hard to go wrong with this dish unless you use bad olive oil or not-so-stellar cheese or you burn the garlic.<\/p>\n

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You can make a case for cooking the garlic for a whole range of times, from mere seconds up until it is dark brown. For many years I even cooked three different batches of garlic, one until brown, one until golden, and one until just fragrant. There is an interesting depth of flavor from doing so but it\u2019s not the classic technique.<\/p>\n

My point is, unless you burn the garlic and make it bitter, you won\u2019t ruin the dish. You may prefer the flavor of the garlic when it is more or less brown but that\u2019s just a preference not an absolute.<\/p>\n

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These little Italian peppers (“pepperoncino”) pack a nice flavor, not just heat<\/strong><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My recipe diverges from the classic Roman recipe in two places.<\/p>\n

While making dinner, I\u2019m usually chatting\u2026with my in-laws (on most nights), with my husband (when he\u2019s not away on business), or with guests. While I know I can time everything to be ready at exactly the right moment, I ask, why stress about it? So, yes, I can time the saut\u00e9ing of the garlic to be just right when the pasta is ready but there\u2019s an easier way.<\/p>\n

I get the garlic to exactly the spot I want and then stop the cooking by taking the pan off the heat and adding a splash of wine (or water, if you must). That\u2019s not classically Roman but it sure makes it much easier to have a conversation and a cocktail or three while making dinner. As soon as I plan on draining the pasta, I turn the heat on under the garlic oil and boil away the liquid I\u2019ve added. Let\u2019s face it, how often do we get to stop time with no consequences?<\/p>\n

The second divergence from classic technique is that I add cheese to the pasta while mixing it with the garlic oil rather than just adding it at the table. In my mind there is no doubt that this pasta needs cheese. Adding it at the final stage of preparation allows me to create a glossy sauce where there would otherwise only be garlic oil. Not that that is bad, but I\u2019ve made a bit of a reputation for myself by turning out glossy sauces where there would often only be oil.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not hard. It just takes a bit of practice and some understanding (minimal) of the chemistry involved. And let\u2019s face it, if the sauce isn\u2019t glossy, you\u2019re the only one who\u2019s going to know. Again, there\u2019s no penalty involved!<\/p>\n

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A brand of pasta that I really like<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In Italy this pasta is often prepared and eaten after a night of over-indulging in alcohol. At least that\u2019s the reputation it has. However, this was a common dish put on the dinner table when I was growing up. It\u2019s easy, quick, filling, and darn good. Oh, and for an entirely different flavor, try butter in place of the olive oil!<\/p>\n

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Spaghetti Aglio, Olio, e Pepperoncino (Spaghetti with Garlic, Oil and Red Pepper)<\/h2>\n
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I like to reduce last minute work, so I prep the garlic oil in advance and stop the cooking with a splash of wine. You can use water, if you wish, or, if you are saut\u00e9ing the garlic as the pasta is cooking, some of the pasta-cooking liquid. As the pasta is nearing completion, I reheat the garlic oil, quickly boiling off the wine, and proceed. Use more or less garlic, to your taste. The same is true with the red pepper. For myself, I would use at least double this amount but that would be way too much for other folks.<\/div>\n
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Prep Time <\/span>15 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Cook Time <\/span>20 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Total Time <\/span>35 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
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Servings: <\/span>4<\/span> people<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Ingredients
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