I grew up with this stuff - it's a dish that's like second nature to most Italians. It's not really all that hot and it really shouldn't be - that's not supposed to be the point. This recipe is wonderful and right on as is, however, mixing in some fresh chopped parsley at the last adds freshness and color. But certainly add the garlic, oil and crushed red pepper to suit your own tastebuds, as Im sure the submitter would agree. Tonight, just for something a little different, I made this in the style of Cacio e Pepe - add some of the reserved pasta cooking water to the cooked spaghetti, then mix in some grated Parmesan or Romano cheese - what you want to achieve is a creamy sauce. If it is too watery, add more cheese - if too dry, add more of that beautiful, starchy pasta cooking water. Just another delicious way to eat basic pasta...
Also known as Spaghetti e Aglio Olio e Peperoncini this is one of my favorite pasta dishes! I recommend substituting a fresh thinly-sliced red peperoncini (chili pepper) for the crushed red pepper; adding a few tablespoons of fresh finely-chopped flat-leaf parsley (also known as Italian parsley); using a good flavorful brand of olive oil; and using the best Parmigiano-Reggiano you can afford. Add the chili slices for the last minute or so to the hot garlic and oil and add the chopped parsley when tossing the oil and pasta together. --In the past I have had the opportunity to sample this dish made with dry ingredients. However preparing this dish with fresh ingredients makes it a stand-alone meal. All you need is a glass of Pinot Grigio and your favorite fresh bread. Mangiare bene!
Wonderful side dish! I used 1/2 lb. of pasta and kept everything else the same. I added 1 Tbsp. of butter 2 Tbsp. of finely chopped flat leaf parsley and a little salt. It doesn't get much better than this....
It was awesome. I of course added more of the spices some pepper and some butter. Loved it. Add the butter it makes it so much better.
This has quickly become a household favorite! We like to add chopped tomato into the oil right before serving and we serve it with grilled chicken.
What a fantastic little pasta dish! So easy and so tasty. It took no time at all and the Hubster and I both enjoyed the result. I let it simmer for about 20-25 minutes to really let the red pepper release it's heat and the garlic to become a little more fragrant. On low heat you shouldn't have any problems with the garlic burning. Be sure to use a very good extra virgin olive oil with a flavor that you love as the olive oil is your main element in this simple and delicious pasta. The garlic and red pepper simply add another level of yummy and the taste was perfect! Thank you for sharing this treat!:)
My husband is Italian and grew up eating this. This is one of his favorite dishes. It makes a perfect side dish. I made with grilled shrimp and asparaus. I used FRESH grated parm cheese do not use the stuff in the green bottle. I cut the pasta in half and used angle hair.. very good!
The basics of this dish are very good however it came out kind of bland to me: I used minced garlic because I had it on hand and sauteed it in the olive oil with the red pepper and poured it over my pasta. I'll admit I didn't have spaghetti so I used an elbow noodle and cooked way too much so I doubled the sauce - and I could taste it but it was again bland. So I added a can of cooked chicken plenty of parmesan and quite a bit of lemon juice (after a favorite lemon pepper pasta dish). Delicious! And easy - just enough heat with the recommended amount of red pepper!
Boring. I served this with tortellini and peas and it was still boring. It's a good recipe when you're too lazy to make a trip to the grocery store but that's about it.
