Traditional Italian Spaghetti Aglio, Olio and Peperoncino

Spaghetti drizzled with hot and garlic-infused olive oil. 

A classic Italian dish, so simple and yet so delicious.

The classic Italian spaghetti aglio, olio and peperoncino (garlic, oil and hot peppers) is the quickest and easiest pasta you can possibly prepare.
And it's one of my family's favorite. It's a great recipe for all those occasions when time is of essence: the kids are starving and begging for food. Or also when the fridge is mostly empty, and there is no time for a run to the grocery store.This pasta takes no more than 15 minutes from start to finish. And it's made with very simple and basic ingredients which I always have available in my kitchen.
To make this recipe a success you need a good quality extra virgin olive oil, fresh parsley (better if the flat, Italian type) and hot peperoncini, which are those tiny, dry, and extremely spicy red peppers. The fruity flavor of the olive oil is complemented by the spicy and nutty taste of garlic and peperoncino. And the chopped parsley, sprinkled over the pasta at the end, balances all the flavors and adds freshness to this typical Italian dish. As I said: so simple, yet so delicious!
Buon appetito!

Ingredients: serving 4 people

• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 peperoncini (dry hot peppers)
• a small bunch of fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 4-5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 12 oz of spaghetti pasta (thin or angel hair)

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When it boils, cook the spaghetti following the time direction on the box. Make sure to cook the pasta al dente, so my suggestion is to set the timer for one minute less than indicated on the box. Taste the pasta before draining.
2. Saute' the garlic cut in slices with the peperoncino broken in pieces for a couple of minutes in the olive oil. Turn off the heat once the garlic is slightly golden.

3. Drain the spaghetti. Drizzle with the olive oil infused with the garlic. You can remove the garlic and peperoncino if you prefer, or leave it with the pasta, for a bolder flavor. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Enjoy!

Classic Italian Penne all'Arrabbiata Recipe

 A spicy and garlicky tomato sauce with a sprinkle of Italian parsley and Parmesan cheese

So easy, yet so delicious!

This a traditional Italian pasta that could not miss from my list of recipes.
The penne all'arrabbiata, which means the "angry pasta," is a very traditional Italian primo piatto. I'm not sure where this pasta get its bad temper, but to make my penne really raving mad I use spicy dried peperoncini.
Peperoncino is an Italian variety of hot chilly peppers. The key word here is HOT! And the seeds inside the peperoncino are what gives its burning effect. So I normally break the peppers in half when I put them in the pan, and I get a mouth-numbing, tongue-tingling super hot sauce.
These are the same hot peppers I use in my pasta alla vodka, spaghetti all'amatriciana and few other sauces. If you don't have peperoncini, you can always substitute with hot pepper flakes or the hottest red chili pepper you can find.
You will be surprised by how easy and quick is to make this pasta. Hot and spicy, that's what there is to love about it. A simple and bold tomato sauce with garlic, peperoncino, some parsley and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.


Ingredients: serving 4

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 hot dried peperoncini , crushed
• 2 cups, about 14 oz of fresh or canned tomatoes, diced
• 2 tablespoons of fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 12 oz of penne pasta
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of Parmesan or pecorino cheese, freshly  grated

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a large saucepan, saute' the garlic and the hot peperoncini in the olive oil, for a couple of minutes.

2. Add the diced tomatoes, salt and pepper if you like. Let simmer for 15 minutes or so. Crush the tomato pieces with a fork. Remove the garlic and hot peppers, if you prefer.

3. While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta al dente. Drain and add to the sauce. Toss the pasta, adding in the chopped parsley.

Serve immediately, sprinkling with Parmesan or pecorino cheese

Buon appetito!