Pasta with olive oil and red pepper flakes

[Priscilla]

Have you got Clifford Wright's book? Utterly brilliant.

Nope.  Remember your mentioning it previously elsewhere...dunno where exactly just now.  What's so great about it keeping in mind I have very high standards?

Priscilla

[Adam_Balic]

Look at this site:

http://www.cliffordawright.com/

JB award good enough for you?

Sorry, my dash, taxi waiting.

[Priscilla]

Look at this site:

http://www.cliffordawright.com/

JB award good enough for you?

Sorry, my dash, taxi waiting.

Thank you looks interesting will investigate further.

Guess a JB award is good enough for SOME people.  And, safe return!

Priscilla

[Robert Schonfeld]

Italian sources:

I love Marcella; her recipes are impeccable.

Bugialli is rigorously authentic, with many references to Italian innovations adopted by the French. (Bechamel is just one interesting example.)

Faith Willinger is a good expat Italian food nut.

The Art of Eating Well by Artusi, has been translated by Kyle Phillips, and is now available in English. Phillips runs the About.com Italian food site. He is excellent.

Anyone out there ever try making pasta entirely by hand? This has been one of my projects over the last few years.

[SobaAddict70]

Don't forget Julia Della Croce and Lidia Bastianich...

[helenas]

Anyone out there ever try making pasta entirely by hand? This has been one of my projects over the last few years.

Robert, do you mean, without using pasta machine? This is how my mom and grandma used to roll out the dough for lapsha (russian egg wide noodles) and pelmeni.

I have a question too: what's your favorite brand of dry pasta? Wellinger calls Latini her favorite pasta. What about rustichella or martelli? Recently i'm cooking a lot of Cara Nona brand and love it.

And my most-used pasta book is Pasta Improvvisata by Erica De Mane. She has a site ( click here)

[Robert Schonfeld]

Yes, Helena, without the machine. I've got this very impractical streak in me that always wants to do things the hard way. Nevertheless, once one gets the hang of it, it's pretty straightforward. As my grandfather used to say, "Anything's easy once you know how to do it."

You covered most of the good brands. From the supermarket, I always look for Di Cecco when it's on sale.

[Wolfert]

[According to Paula Wolfert, this kind of flakes is very hard to find even in Turkey, and she knows her stuff...

Heleanas.

A correctıon needed here. Presently. I am ın Turkey and am fındıng jars of red pepper flakes on restaurant tables EVERYWHERE. A few are even the qualıty of Marash pepper.

[gperls]

One of Lidia's recipies for pasta a'olio includes tossing a few anchovies into the heated oil and garlic before adding the pasta. The anchovies will dissolve into the sauce. It's an excellent dish.

[Basilgirl]

I've tried Marcella's recipe but I like Lidia's better. MUCH sliced garlic sauteed, red pepper flakes added off the heat. A good quantity of pasta water to create the sauce. Parsley and more olive oil added at the end. I also add a little black pepper. Sometimes chovies.

[Anna N]

Until this thread I have bypassed all such recipes as they all sounded so boring. But you got me - I had to have a go - and it's delicious. I tried it without cheese and then with a light dusting of PR and I have to say that I liked it better with the cheese. Thanks for a new taste experience!

[jsolomon]

I dated a poor Italian girl when we were both undergraduates. We would gorge ourselves on this dish several times a week. Ahh... the memories. I shoulda made it for supper.

[agnolottigirl]

The variations are probably endless, but sometimes I also throw in sundried tomatoes and/or broccoli. Often with anchovies. Yeah, yeah, so the broccoli's probably not authentic. . . but good anyway, and it makes a one-pan dinner (if you zap the broccoli in the mic). So there.

[markf424]

Hate to enter so late, but I don't think the answer to the name of the original dish in question was answered - pasta (con) aglio e olio. It's a typical late night snack in Italy and something really great to make for yourself (and friends/SO/whoever) if you go to happy hour and forget to have a real meal, then make it home too late for a real dinner. Very quick and delicious - I always use breadcrumbs in mine or it feels too oily. Anyhow, just figured I'd drop in my two cents.

[tommy]

Hate to enter so late, but I don't think the answer to the name of the original dish in question was answered - pasta (con) aglio e olio. It's a typical late night snack in Italy and something really great to make for yourself (and friends/SO/whoever) if you go to happy hour and forget to have a real meal, then make it home too late for a real dinner. Very quick and delicious - I always use breadcrumbs in mine or it feels too oily. Anyhow, just figured I'd drop in my two cents.

thanks, mark. that answer only took 2 years.

[markf424]

Oh man. I didn't even see the date on the original post. That's hilarious.

[tommy]

Oh man. I didn't even see the date on the original post. That's hilarious.

let's try to pick up the pace around here and start pulling your own weight. m'kay?

[mongo_jones]

I wasn't invoking an absolute, just giving my opinion.

But you might agree, it's a little overkill to toss a handful of grated white stuff on something that probably doesn't need it.

sort of like pizza with spam and pineapple (*shudder*)

mmmmm pizza with spam and pineapple....spamapalicious!

[tommy]

i had no choice but to make this dish tonite. i grated the shit out of a big ol' hunk of PR and it was damned good.

Edited April 9, 2004 by tommy (log)

[Schielke]

Next time try and grate the cheese out of it!

[lleechef]

Try making the same thing with penne and rapini......it's delish!

[bhelpuri]

This is easily my favorite instant heat gratification food, and we make several versions.

The traditional base, as observed in this thread, is a ton of coarsely chopped garlic. Then there needs to be a strong olive oil, we tend to use the intensely aromatic and flavorful Portuguese ones. Then the pepperoncino.

Probably my favorite version of this includes some good cured/smoked sausage, finely chopped, anything from linguica to soppresata. And maybe a few finely chopped olives, and then a diced tomato thrown in a couple of minutes before the pasta is added to the pan.

No cheese, of course.

It's highly satisfying, and takes a round ten minutes to cook - from start to finish.

[redfox]

Having some right now! Linguine with minced garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil, a little pinch of fried onions (the kind you can get at the Thai market) and ground black pepper. Dam' good.

[Katherine]

Recipe?

Boil fresh pasta in salted water. Drain. Dump in bowl. Pour over EVOO. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

[redfox]

Fresh pasta? Really? I very very much think of this as a dried pasta dish.