The ultimate quick and easy meal: Spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino.
Spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino (spaghetti with garlic, oil, and chili peppers) is the quintessential quick and easy pasta dish that is synonymous with conviviality wherever you go.
With just four quality ingredients and a few minutes of your time, you can have one of the most famous and beloved first courses of Italian cuisine on the table.

INGREDIENTS
● Garlic cloves
● Dill
● 20g Extravergin Olive Oil
● Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Stagionato
● Chilli peppers
● Lime zest
● Pepper
● Salt

METHOD
First chop the garlic and chillies. Place the ingredients in a pan with the olive oil and pepper.
Turn the heat on medium until the garlic is turning gold. Add the pasta water to the sauce and then switch it off.
Drain the pasta and cook the pasta in the sauce for about 3 minutes, you can add herbs as you like (dill, parsley or basil) and grate some lime zest.
Turn off the heat and add the Parmigiano Reggiano mixing continuously your pasta in the pan. Now serve it with some extra lime zest on top and cheese of course. To garnish the plate add some fresh dill or parsley leaves and it’s show time!

Tips

For a more intense flavor, you can let the garlic and chili peppers cook for a few minutes longer until they are lightly browned.
If you don’t like spicy food, you can omit the chili peppers or use a milder variety.
You can also add other ingredients to this dish, such as chopped fresh parsley, anchovies or a squeeze of lemon juice.

Here are a few other tips for making the perfect spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino:
● Use fresh, high-quality ingredients.
● Don’t overcook the garlic. You want it to be fragrant, but not burned.
● Use a good quality chili pepper. You can adjust the amount of chili pepper to your
liking.
● Toss the pasta with the oil and garlic mixture half of the pasta cooking and keep
cooking it adding pasta water little by little to extract all the starch from the
pasta.remember to keep moving the pan with energy for the best result. This will help
to coat the pasta evenly and distribute the flavor.

How to flavor the oil and pasta with garlic and chili peppers

Garlic, for example, can flavor the oil and consequently the pasta in different ways:

● Minced garlic: some people mince the garlic very finely and fry it lightly in the oil.
This will give a very strong flavor and distribute it evenly throughout the dish.
● Sliced garlic: others slice the garlic very thinly and fry it in the oil until golden brown,
then leave it in the pasta sauce. This way the distribution will be less homogeneous
and, in some bites, you will taste the fried garlic flavor.
● Crushed garlic: still others crush the garlic and fry it in the oil, then remove it before
pouring the sauce over the pasta and thus avoid eating the bulb.
The same goes for the chili pepper: the recipe calls for fresh chili pepper, chopped and fried
in the oil with the garlic, then added to the pasta. You can also fry the chili pepper cut in half,
or whole, for increasingly less intense degrees of spiciness.
Here are some additional tips for flavoring the oil and pasta with garlic and chili peppers in
spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino:
Use fresh, high-quality garlic and chili peppers. This will make a big difference in the flavor of
the dish.
Use the right amount of chili pepper. This will depend on your personal taste. If you don’t like
spicy food, you can omit the chili pepper altogether.
Taste the oil and adjust the seasoning as needed. You may need to add more salt, pepper,
or chili peppers to taste.

Variations of Spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino

● Aglio, olio e peperoncino con pomodorini: add a handful of cherry tomatoes to
the skillet with the garlic and chili peppers.
Cook until the tomatoes are softened and burst, about 5 minutes.
● Aglio, olio e peperoncino con gamberi: add a few shrimp to the skillet with the
garlic and chili peppers. Cook until the shrimp are pink and curled, about 2 minutes.
● Aglio, olio e peperoncino con vongole: add a handful of clams to the skillet with
the garlic and chili peppers. Cook until the clams open, about 5 minutes.

Varieties of garlic

The varieties of garlic commonly cultivated in Italy are numerous, many of which are protected by protection consortia and Slow Food presidia such as PDO Polesano white garlic, Vessalico garlic or Nubia red garlic.
The white type is the most common, the best preserved and the one that has the most intense flavor and aroma. Pink garlic is very delicate in its scent and flavor, difficult to preserve and consumed especially when it is fresh.
Red garlic, finally, has a strong flavor that turns towards spicy.
Don’t forget about the “Aglione from Val Di Chiana”, a tasteful an beautiful garlic strain from Tuscany.

What type of olive oil should I use for spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino?

Since the oil is the star of this dish, using a good quality oil is essential. We recommend using an extra virgin olive oil with an intense fruity flavor, which is ideal for adding an extra touch of personality to the recipe.
For our spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino, we used Il Casolare Intense Fruity Unfiltered Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which has a very strong flavor that is perfect for enhancing the recipe without being overpowered by the garlic and chili peppers.

Here are some other factors to consider when choosing an olive oil for spaghetti aglio, olio e
peperoncino:
● The type of olive: there are many different types of olives, each with its own unique flavor profile.
For this dish, we recommend using an olive oil made from olives that are grown in Italy, such as Coratina, Leccino, or Frantoio olives. These olives have a high oil content and a robust flavor that will stand up to the garlic and chili peppers.
● The acidity level: olive oil is graded by its acidity level, which is expressed as a percentage. A lower acidity level indicates a higher quality oil. For this dish, we recommend using an olive oil with an acidity level of 0.5% or lower.
● The freshness: Olive oil is a perishable product, so it is important to use it fresh. Look for an olive oil that has been bottled within the past year.