Spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino
Glossy spaghetti coated in a generous olive oil sauce, gently infused with garlic and chilli and bound with starchy pasta water, with a final drizzle of uncooked oil. Serve with a southern Italian contorno of warm cannellini beans, red onion, olive oil and oregano.
Ingredients for two
| 220 g | Spaghetti 110 g per person |
| 15 g | Garlic 3 cloves, cut into 1 mm slices |
| 70 g | Extra virgin olive oil 7 tbsp: 50 g for the sauté pan, including 1 tbsp added off the heat at the end; 20 g for the beans |
| 2 g | Chilli flakes (peperoncino) 1 tsp for a definite kick, or 2 whole dried peperoncini, crumbled by hand |
| 10 g | Flat-leaf parsley a small handful of leaves and tender stalks; half for the beans, half for the pasta |
| 240 g | Tinned cannellini beans (400 g tin) 1 × 400 g tin, drained and rinsed weight, for the side dish |
| 30 g | Red onions 1/4 onion, sliced 1 mm thick |
| 8 g | Red wine vinegar 1/2 tbsp, or the juice of a quarter lemon |
| 1 g | Dried oregano 1 level tsp |
| 1 g | Ground black pepper a few turns of the pepper mill, for the beans |
| 2 g | Fine salt 1/2 level tsp, for the beans |
| 20 g | Coarse salt for 2 litres of pasta water (10 g per litre), discarded with the water |
Method
- Bring 2 litres of water to the boil in the covered 4-litre saucepan. Meanwhile, slice the quarter onion 1 mm thick and soak in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes to mellow it, then drain and dry. Peel the garlic, remove the central shoots and cut into 1 mm slices with a sharp knife, not a garlic press: the slices should stay whole in the oil. Chop the parsley. Rinse and drain the cannellini.
- Add the 20 g coarse salt to the boiling water, or 10 g per litre. Ladle 2 tbsp of this water into the small saucepan for the beans. Add the spaghetti, stir and set a timer for 2 minutes less than the packet time, or 6–9 minutes depending on the brand. The centre should remain firm; the final 2 minutes in the sauce will finish the cooking.
- For the contorno, warm the cannellini with the 2 tbsp water in the small saucepan over a low heat for 1 minute, or microwave for 30 seconds. Off the heat, mix with the onion, 20 g oil, vinegar, 2 g salt, pepper, oregano and half the parsley: the beans should glisten. Divide between the two small bowls and leave to absorb the flavours while the pasta cooks; serve them warm.
- When the pasta timer has 5 minutes left, combine 40 g oil and the garlic in the 28 cm sauté pan, reserving 1 tbsp uncooked oil for the finish. Heat gently for 4–5 minutes, stirring: small bubbles should surround the slices, which should turn pale golden, never brown. Remove the pan from the heat if they colour too quickly. Add the chilli for the final 30 seconds.
- When the timer rings, ladle 250 g pasta water into the measuring jug. Off the heat, pour 80 g of this water into the sauté pan in one go; it will sizzle for 2 seconds and stop the garlic cooking. Return to a medium heat and immediately transfer the spaghetti with tongs. Toss vigorously for 2 minutes, adding 20–30 g water at a time, until a creamy, glossy emulsion clings to the pasta.
- Turn off the heat as soon as the spaghetti are al dente, supple but with a firm bite. Add the reserved tablespoon of oil and remaining parsley off the heat, then toss vigorously with tongs for 30 seconds (mantecatura), until the sauce coats every strand. Warm the plates 1 minute beforehand with a little hot pasta water, pour it away, then divide the pasta between them and serve immediately with the warm cannellini alongside. If the pasta waits for a minute, loosen with a spoonful of reserved water.
Lighter version
- Spaghetti : 140 g
- Extra virgin olive oil : 45 g
Use the same method, with 30 g oil for the sauté pan, including 1 tbsp added off the heat at the end, and 15 g for the beans. Start with 60 g pasta water instead of 80 g.
70 g pasta per person, with the same portion of beans: the emulsion stays, while the meal has around 250 fewer kcal per person.
On your plate
Recipe
796 kcal · protein 22 g · carbs 88 g · fat 38 g
Quantities per person
- 110 g Spaghetti
- 7.5 g Garlic
- 35 g Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 g Chilli flakes (peperoncino)
- 5 g Flat-leaf parsley
- 120 g Tinned cannellini beans (400 g tin)
- 15 g Red onions
- 4 g Red wine vinegar
- 0.5 g Dried oregano
- 0.5 g Ground black pepper
- 1 g Fine salt
- 10 g Coarse salt
Cooking tips
Prepare both bowls of beans before finishing the pasta: the emulsion should be eaten immediately. Browned garlic turns bitter; if it colours too quickly, remove the pan from the heat before adding the chilli. The modest amount of pasta water, 2 litres for 220 g pasta, is deliberate: its starch binds the sauce. Use 1 g chilli for mild heat. Another drizzle of uncooked olive oil over the plated pasta is welcome. The cannellini keep for 2 days in the fridge and make a starter on toast the next day.
Neapolitan spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino, served with the southern Italian side dish fagioli all'olio e cipolla, from Naples and Puglia.
Comments and reviews
No comments published yet.
Share your experience
Your first name will appear with your comment. No additional email is required. Comments are reviewed before publication.