Vincenzo Pandolfi
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1/23/2008 4:11:15 PM
Spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino (Spaghetti with garlic, oil and chilies)
copyright: Vincenzo Pandolfi 2008 (who knows I might write a cook book some day!!)
This is one of the simplest of classical Italian dishes. It is also one of the most difficult to master as it is all about quantities, quality of ingredients and timing. There should always be just the right amount of oil which has to be of the highest quality. Not enough oil and the result is too dry and flavorless. Too much oil and it will drip from the pasta in an unpleasant mess!! If you burn the garlic…start again!!
I learned this dish from my father, but I am sure every italian family has a slightly different version of it.
This is the sort of dish that one would have at midnight, after coming home from the movies, or music or just when someone pops over, and coffee turns to dinner and you have nothing ready!!
Tools:
Large pasta pot or pasta cooker
Colander to strain the pasta if you don't have a pasta cooker with built in strainer
Small skillet or small saucepan. Skillet is better as it will heat up the oil faster.
Pasta bowl
Something to serve the spaghetti with
Sharp chopping knife
Chopping board
Red wine for the Chef!!
Ingredients (Serves 4):
Spaghetti (Durum wheat only!): 500 Grams
(Barilla No 5 or De Cecco, Delverde
or Divella brands are fine.)
Extra Vergin Cold Pressed Olive oil: 8 Tablespoons approximately
Garlic: 4 Cloves
Hot Chilies (fresh or dry as long
as they are hot!) 1 or 2 up to you as hot you like it!!
Italian/continental (Flat leaves) parsley: ¼ of a large bunch or ½ a small bunch
Salt: 2 or more tablespoons (To your taste)
Method:
1) Fill a large pasta pot with water, add salt to taste, approximately two tablespoons, and bring to boil.
2) While water is heating up, skin and chop the garlic very, very finely. Chop the chilies roughly. Place the garlic, the chilies and the olive oil in a small skillet approximately 5 inches in diameter. Warning: if the skillet is too large, the oil will spread too thinly and you will be tempted to add more oil, as you will not be able to fry the garlic. This will result in TOO MUCH OIL!
Set the skillet with the oil, garlic etc aside and away from the boiling water, you do not want ANY WATER to accidently fall in the oil, or you will pay for it later when you try to heat the oil up!
3) Chop the parsley, fine by not too fine, and set aside.
4) When the water is boiling and not before, add the spaghetti and stir so it does not stick together. Do not add oil to the water! Cover the pot until the water comes back to boiling. You will not need the lid anymore after this point.
Stir the spaghetti from time to time and check for saltiness, you want it tasty but not too salty.
Now comes the tricky part: The idea is to have the spaghetti, the oil and garlic mix all ready at the same time. This is what I do:
5) Cook the spaghetti till al dente and no more!! Just before you are ready to drain the spaghetti, move the pasta pot to the sink and
6) Put the oil mix on the stove on medium to high gas, or high for electric. (Hope you have a fast electric stove!!)
7) Drain the spaghetti and place in serving bowl.
8) Continuously watch the oil/garlic mix on the stove, when the garlic starts to turn a nice golden colour,(DO NOT BURN THE GARLIC OR ALL IS LOST!) add the parsley to the olive oil, garlic and chilies mix and fry for a few seconds, then quickly pour the contents of the skillet onto the spaghetti and toss. SERVE IMMEDIATELY!!
It is important to turn the oil on just before you drain the spaghetti, so that by the time, you put the spaghetti in the pasta
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Vincenzo Pandolfi
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2/13/2008 4:22:36 PM
Lace, Larree & all Iacers, if you were close, I would like nothing more than to cook for everybody!!
DublinJames...No parmigiano for me on this dish!! or spaghetti marinara!!! or risotto marinara!!. I know, the young italians are changing the food. Some of them prefer sushi, which is fine, I love sushi, but it is not Italian!! They'll probably try to put parmigiano on that too...
Ciao,
Vincenzo
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