Pasta Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino

Pasta Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino
Photograph by Grant Cornett. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Theo Vamvounakis.
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(1,443)
Comments
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This late-night Roman staple is astonishingly full-flavored. Start the water before you do anything else, because the sauce takes less than 10 minutes start to finish.

Featured in: For Perfect Pasta, Add Water and a Vigorous Stir

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings.
  • Salt
  • 2 to 3whole fresh peperoncini (small red chiles), or small dried red chiles
  • cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 4garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • ¼cup chopped Italian parsley
  • ¾pound linguine or spaghetti
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

641 calories; 37 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 26 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 65 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 11 grams protein; 298 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put a pot of salted water on to boil. Remove the stems of the peperoncini, halve them lengthwise, then slice them into ¼-inch lengths. Put the oil, garlic and peperoncini in a large deep pan set over medium-high heat, and cook until the garlic is translucent and golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the parsley to the pan, and turn off the heat.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, cook the pasta until it is aldente, nearly but not quite done and still a bit chalky in the middle. Drain, and reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

  3. Step 3

    When the oil has cooled for a couple of minutes, add ½ cup of the pasta cooking water, and reduce over high heat by about half. Add the pasta, and stir vigorously as it continues to cook. Add the reserved pasta water a bit at a time as necessary to finish cooking the pasta, and develop the thickened sauce. Season with salt, and serve.

Ratings

5 out of 5
1,443 user ratings
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Comments

I'm not sure why this is considered a Roman staple for I grew up in a Neapolitan/Calabrian household in which this was a staple, especially on Friday fish nights as a starter. I would like to add that a topping of lightly toasted fresh breadcrumps, seasoned lightly with S&P and cheese of choice, either Parm or Pecorino, makes this very special. I do not use quite as much peporincino and often resort to red pepper flakes, resulting in pretty much the same goodness.

Reference to peperoncini might confuse folks. Spellcheck wanted to correct to double p. Worst thing is that someone might think it refers to the green colored pickled peppers by Mezetta.
Every recipe I've seen calls for crushed red pepper, the stuff available at every pizzeria in NYC. In Italy they sell peperoncini in the outdoor markets, it's simply crushed red peppers (they do the work for you).
Another example of trying to make a recipe more complicated than need be.

I just wanted to say that the comments section of this app is my favourite thing. It's the perfect antidote to all other online comments sections. Balanced, helpful, and informed.

I used 1 tsp of chilli flakes because I didn’t have fresh chillis at home!

I tried this two weeks ago in Palermo. They added anchovy.

I don't get the love for this. Medium high is too hot; my garlic burned after less than two minutes and I was watching it like a hawk. Too much oil as well.

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