Whipping Sicilian Pasta
Whipping Sicilian Pasta
Ingredients
For the Raw Sauce
- 1 head garlic, cloves separated, peeled, and roughly chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water, as needed
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling, as needed
- 2 dried chili peppers, chopped, with seeds (adjust to taste)
- 1 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
For the Pasta
- 400 grams spaghetti
- 100 grams Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated, plus more for garnish
- 1 cup pasta water, reserved
Instructions
- 1
Begin by preparing the garlic. Place the head of garlic on a cutting board and use the side of a knife to firmly crush it, separating the individual cloves. Peel the skin from the cloves and roughly chop them.
⏱️ 3 min
- 2
Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the chopped garlic on the cutting board. Using the side of your knife, mash and smear the garlic and salt together until a coarse paste forms.
⏱️ 2 min - 3
Drizzle a small amount of extra virgin olive oil over the garlic paste on the cutting board. Continue to mash and mix with the knife, incorporating the oil.
⏱️ 1 min
- 4
Finely chop the dried chili peppers, ensuring to include their seeds for heat. Add the chopped chili peppers to the garlic mixture on the cutting board. Adjust the quantity of chili peppers to your desired level of spiciness.
⏱️ 2 min
- 5
Finely chop the fresh parsley. Add the chopped parsley to the garlic and chili mixture on the cutting board.
⏱️ 2 min
- 6
Transfer all the prepared ingredients (garlic paste, chili peppers, and parsley) from the cutting board into a large, wide pan. Add 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil to the pan. Stir the raw sauce ingredients with a wooden spoon to combine thoroughly. Do not heat the pan at this stage.
⏱️ 3 min
- 7
In a separate large pot, bring a generous amount of water to a rolling boil. Add a good pinch of salt to the boiling water.
⏱️ 5 min
- 8
Add the spaghetti to the boiling salted water. Cook the spaghetti until it is extra al dente, meaning it is still quite firm to the bite, as it will continue to cook in the sauce.
⏱️ 8 min
- 9
Using tongs, carefully transfer the extra al dente spaghetti directly from the boiling water into the pan containing the raw sauce. Do not drain the pasta.
⏱️ 1 min
- 10
Add about 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water to the pan with the spaghetti and sauce. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon to combine everything, allowing the starches from the pasta water to emulsify with the olive oil and create a sauce.
⏱️ 2 min
- 11
Grate 100 grams of Pecorino Romano cheese directly into the pan with the spaghetti. Continue to stir and toss the pasta, sauce, and cheese until a creamy, emulsified sauce forms and evenly coats the spaghetti. Add more pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, if the sauce is too thick or needs more creaminess.
⏱️ 3 min
- 12
To serve, use a ladle and a fork to twirl a portion of the spaghetti onto a plate. Spoon some of the remaining sauce from the pan over the plated spaghetti. Garnish with additional freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese and a sprinkle of chopped chili peppers, if desired.
⏱️ 2 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Whipping Sicilian Pasta
For the Raw Sauce
- 1 head garlic, cloves separated, peeled, and roughly chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water, as needed
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling, as needed
- 2 dried chili peppers, chopped, with seeds (adjust to taste)
- 1 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
For the Pasta
- 400 grams spaghetti
- 100 grams Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated, plus more for garnish
- 1 cup pasta water, reserved
Instructions
- 1
Begin by preparing the garlic. Place the head of garlic on a cutting board and use the side of a knife to firmly crush it, separating the individual cloves. Peel the skin from the cloves and roughly chop them.
⏱️ 3 min - 2
Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the chopped garlic on the cutting board. Using the side of your knife, mash and smear the garlic and salt together until a coarse paste forms.
⏱️ 2 min - 3
Drizzle a small amount of extra virgin olive oil over the garlic paste on the cutting board. Continue to mash and mix with the knife, incorporating the oil.
⏱️ 1 min - 4
Finely chop the dried chili peppers, ensuring to include their seeds for heat. Add the chopped chili peppers to the garlic mixture on the cutting board. Adjust the quantity of chili peppers to your desired level of spiciness.
⏱️ 2 min - 5
Finely chop the fresh parsley. Add the chopped parsley to the garlic and chili mixture on the cutting board.
⏱️ 2 min - 6
Transfer all the prepared ingredients (garlic paste, chili peppers, and parsley) from the cutting board into a large, wide pan. Add 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil to the pan. Stir the raw sauce ingredients with a wooden spoon to combine thoroughly. Do not heat the pan at this stage.
⏱️ 3 min - 7
In a separate large pot, bring a generous amount of water to a rolling boil. Add a good pinch of salt to the boiling water.
⏱️ 5 min - 8
Add the spaghetti to the boiling salted water. Cook the spaghetti until it is extra al dente, meaning it is still quite firm to the bite, as it will continue to cook in the sauce.
⏱️ 8 min - 9
Using tongs, carefully transfer the extra al dente spaghetti directly from the boiling water into the pan containing the raw sauce. Do not drain the pasta.
⏱️ 1 min - 10
Add about 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water to the pan with the spaghetti and sauce. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon to combine everything, allowing the starches from the pasta water to emulsify with the olive oil and create a sauce.
⏱️ 2 min - 11
Grate 100 grams of Pecorino Romano cheese directly into the pan with the spaghetti. Continue to stir and toss the pasta, sauce, and cheese until a creamy, emulsified sauce forms and evenly coats the spaghetti. Add more pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, if the sauce is too thick or needs more creaminess.
⏱️ 3 min - 12
To serve, use a ladle and a fork to twirl a portion of the spaghetti onto a plate. Spoon some of the remaining sauce from the pan over the plated spaghetti. Garnish with additional freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese and a sprinkle of chopped chili peppers, if desired.
⏱️ 2 min