Post Pub Pasta – Linguine Aglio olio e peperoncino

[minesamojito]

I try to give you lovely people a range of recipes, some new with unusual flavour combinations or ingredients, but sometimes I love to fall back on my old classics, and for me one of the most comforting and sustaining meals has always been this one. I first encountered it as a pennyless newly vegetarian student, and was smitten, it has seen me through those years, and has always been my “go to” dish.
With so few ingredients you can really make sure they are the best, and the real key is wonderful olive oil, so when I was recently gifted some Tuscan extra virgin olive oil and some salami from Garfagnana by an Italian colleague. I wanted to enjoy the emerald green oil in my favourite dish to do it justice. In the UK after a night out the usual dishes we go for are kebabs, pizza and burger van offerings, well this is what they have in Italy.
In a large flat bottomed frying pan start to warm over the lowest heat a thin layer of the best quality extra virgin olive oil, adding 3/4 plump garlic cloves finely sliced and a teaspoon of dried red chilli flakes, with seeds if you like a little heat. Cook some long pasta for a couple of people such as spaghetti or linguine as per the instructions to al dente, turn up the heat on the oil, and add a ladle full of the pasta water, as it bubbles it should start to emulsify. Add the pasta and toss in the rich and flavourful oils.
Season with a pinch of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, and if you can afford it some lovely parmesan or pecorino. I had mine with some thick slices of the salami and a glass of Primitivo.
Cheers
Marcus

[rivergirl]

You cannot beat a plate of comfort food!! Your photos once again are stunning!

[minesamojito]

Thanks RG glad you enjoy them
Cheers
Marcus

[rivergirl]

Mine are pitiful but luckily am still chuffed that I have mastered posting them at last !

[minesamojito]

Not at all, I think they are great, and your food always looks so good, just glad to be able to see your creations now.
Cheers
Marcus

[conic]

this looks great and is "Pasta aglio olio" pasta with garlic and oil. In Sardinia we have it with dried salted mullet roe ( bottarga di muggine ) which is grated onto the pasta, the only place i know to get it in the uk is soho in the west end either in a block or in a jar but well worth the trip.

Even quicker and still very tasty is pasta e burro , boil the pasta of any kind put in your plate and mix well with some good butter and add black pepper , on its own its fantastic but can add some grated parmesan or even some good strong chedder like the "Tickler"

Conic

[Fat Bob]

Quite how you enjoyed this as a penniless vegetarian defeats me!

Today it would be made with horse meat...