Pasta with olive oil and red pepper flakes

[tommy]

after reading Robin Rinaldi's article over on the Media board, i got to thinking about the pasta dish with olive oil, red pepper flakes, and that's about it.  what is it called anyway?

i'm thinking i want to whip up some tonite or tomorrow.  any suggestions?

i'm guessing:

olive oil

garlic

red pepper flakes

grated cheese

some bread crumbs maybe

mint or parsley

any info would, as always, be appreciated,

[jaybee]

after reading Robin Rinaldi's article over on the Media board,

Where is this article?  I couldn't find it.  I love linguine with ollive oil and red pepper.

[helenas]

artisanal orecchiette with swiss chard, garlic, pepper flakes, olive oil and Pecorino Romano

[tommy]

the article is here. click me click me click you.

and the discussion is on the "questionable career choice" thread.

[tommy]

jaybee, do you have a skeleton of a recipe i might try?

as an aside, i've been on egullet for about 8 months now.  that means that i've pretended and/or attempted to understand what "artisinal" means for about 8 months now.  at this point, i think i understand "pie"  even better than "artisinal", which really isn't saying much.

[tommy]

can someone throw me a bone and give me a common name for this dish so i can look it up on epicurious?

[helenas]

don't go to epicurious: try foodtv.com and search for pasta and mario.

or foodandwine.com search for pasta and red flakes

[jaybee]

jaybee, do you have a skeleton of a recipe i might try?

Not off the top of my head.  I've only enjoyed it made by others.  But you've inspired me to search for one.  If I find it, I'll post it.

Artisinal:  crooked, not smooth, lacking uniformity, seemingly made by hand by little old ladies dressed in black who live in houses on stone-lined streets in hill towns; bearing hand written lables (if any), packed unsanitarily in brown paper or mason jars, incapable of being bought a second time after becoming besotted with the item.  Oh, and priced at least six times higher than the non-artisinal (read "commercial") version.

[SobaAddict70]

GAH!

Every time I see a pasta dish that calls for grated cheese, I'm reminded of that scene in "Big Night" where the woman asks Stanley Tucci's character why her risotto doesn't come with a side of spaghetti ("she wants starch with starch?!?").

Certain Italian pasta dishes don't use grated cheese -- this being the case of one of them.  There are several sauces that have bases composed of nothing more than garlic, herbs (Italian parsley usually), and good quality olive oil.  To this, you can add red pepper flakes, anchovies (either salt or oil packed), currants, chopped brined olives, etc.  Cheese is superfluous since it masks or overwhelms the other ingredients in the finished dish.  If you simply must add a topping, fried herbed bread crumbs will do.

The simplest sauce I can think of would be good quality (not extra-virgin) olive oil, garlic and chopped Italian parsley or lots of freshly cracked black pepper.  To 1/4 c. olive oil, add 2 split garlic cloves and saute until the garlic is golden brown; discard garlic or save for another use -- do not let the garlic burn.  Toss the cooked pasta (linguini, fusilli or spaghetti is best) with a little of the pasta cooking water into the sauce; finish with the chopped parsley or pepper.  Alternately you can add red pepper flakes at the same time as you add the garlic, or when finishing the dish.

[Jim Dixon]

I'd pretty much agree with SobaAddict's 'recipe,' but might make it a bit differently...

While the pasta's cooking (and I'd go with long pasta for this, spaghettini being my fave), heat olive oil (and use the good stuff for this) over med-low flame...add the crushed garlic, remove when it's golden (one man's gold is another's brown). Heat another pan, a heavy one like cast iron, and toast your breadcrumbs a bit (I put the ends of loaves out on the counter to dry for a few days, then grind in processor...they keep forever), stir in a little bit more of the olive oil and set aside.

Check the pasta regularly, and when it's still a bit chewy, pull out a cup or so of water, then drain. Add to garlic-flavored oil, turn the heat back on, then add red pepper flake, bread crumbs, and salt. Splash in some of the pasta cooking water and let it all cook for a couple minutes. Serve with more of the best olive oil you can afford.

The parsley would be a good addition, but only if it's flat leaf...you could also mash an anchovey (or several) in the garlic oil...salt-packed capers would be another good bet (soak first)...

Jim

[tommy]

looks like the pasta police arrived.  good thing i went out tonite and didn't ruin a perfectly good pasta dish with cheese.  

thanks to all for your comments and ideas.  i'll be jumping on this project within the next few days, especially if this rain in NYC keeps up.

[Sandra Levine]

I made the dish tonight, but included a can of olive-oil packed tuna.  It's actually an old standby in our home, the difference being the toasted breadcrumbs tonight.  They added a delicate,  delightful crunch.  I sauteed the breadcrumbs first and set them aside.  While the spaghettini was cooking, I sauteed two fat cloves of garlic in some olive oil, added the tuna, with its oil once the garlic had turned golden, sprinkled on some red pepper flakes and at the end, threw in a handful

of chopped parsley. After draining the pasta, I turned it into a bowl, topped it with the bread crumbs and enjoyed with some Pino Grigio.

Thanks for posting about this, Tommy.

[CathyL]

Sandra, that sounds yummy.  

Red pepper flakes are not generic, a recent discovery for me.  I'm addicted to the Marash Red Pepper from Zingerman's (doubtless available for less $ in a less cute package elsewhere).  It's lively, zingy, tingly but not searingly hot.  I've been scattering it on almost everything, except ice cream. Which is not a bad idea...

[jaybee]

Tommy,you seem to have launched several of us to a meal of pasta with olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes.  We sat through a session of my son's band at the Elbow Room on Bleeker street tonight and went, ears ringing, to a sidewalk dinner on Sixth Ave.  I order (surprise) Penne Arrabiatta--penne with tomato suace, olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes.  It was delicious.  With all respecrt to Soba, I covered it with fresh grated parmisan.  Add a large glass of excellent chianti classico, and a good time was had by all.  Thanks.

[tommy]

jaybee, what was the restaurant?

it seems that everyone except for me had this dish!  actually, i went to a little italian place and had some pasta with a meat sauce.  so it was at least a *little* close to what i was craving.   glad everyone enjoyed dinner.  we should probably thank that author, robin, for reminding us of the beauty in the simplicity of this dish.  yummy.  

[Adam_Balic]

SobaAddict70 - you're not Italian are you? I ask because when I visit my sister-in-law in Chianti, her partner goes to great lenghs to explain why only tourists add cheese to pasta. Cheese good and pasta good, but together, bad. Mind you he also has funny rules about which pasta with which sauce. eg. Spagetti No. 5 is for chilli and olive oil, Spagetti No. 11 is for clams. Don't get them confused or you will look like an idiot, apparently.

Tommy, you could also use half olive oil and half unsalted butter, for the pasta with chilli/garlic. Popular in Chianti anyway.

[tommy]

Tommy, you could also use half olive oil and half unsalted butter, for the pasta with chilli/garlic. Popular in Chianti anyway.

how about margarine?

[Adam_Balic]

MARGARINE IS THE DEVILS SPUNK. So, no by all means, don't use it.

[Jinmyo]

Adam, LOL. You arrived in the U.S. safely and in good form, I see.

The thing about cheese with a dish like this is that it can easily overpower the subtle and very simple flavours.

By all means, add it if one wishes. It's just a different dish.

Also, cheese covers over the tastes of seafood.

But if that's what one likes, then great. Just don't pay too much for the cheese or the seafood.

[Adam_Balic]

Nope, still in Scotland, will be leaving soon though.

[tommy]

i was kidding about the margarine.  

i refuse to buy into a blanket statement like "cheese covers over the tastes of seafood".  

hogwash i say.

[Adam_Balic]

Yeh, well I was kidding about it being the devils spunk - mostly . Tuna with cheese good, most every other fish with cheese, bad. MASKS THE FLAVOUR.

[Jinmyo]

Then don't buy it.

Because you're right, it's not always true.

But with a good grana cheese and excellently fresh seafood, I think it's best to have the cheese afterwards with a bit of wine.

[tommy]

MASKS THE FLAVOUR.

saying it loudly doesn't make it true.  

do you think a sprinkle of percorino romano (sp?!?!??) would mask the flavor of an oily piece of mackerel?

[Jinmyo]

I love oily mackerel. I haven't tried pecorino with it but I have the sense that a dusting wouldn't hurt and could be quite nice. Olives, garlic, perhaps spinach or chard in the sauce.

Yes, I think it would be very nice.