Why this recipe works “Pasta of fire” is truly an apt name for this deceptively simple southern Italian dish. A potent chile-garlic oil made from spicy, mildly fruity Calabrian peperoncini flakes dresses bucatini pasta both inside and out, allowing the pasta’s hollow strands to fully absorb the delicious oil. Since the essential oils in chiles are oil-soluble, we bloomed the chile flakes in hot olive oil to produce complexly spicy flavor. We gently cooked whole cloves of garlic in the oil as well before mincing them. This allowed their flavor to become sweeter and rounder than if we had minced them before cooking. Allowing the oil to steep while we toasted bread crumbs (for a little crunch) and cooked our pasta boosted its intensity even more. Calabrian peperoncini flakes are available at most Italian markets; use more or less of them according to your heat tolerance. If you can’t find them, about 1½ teaspoons of ground dried arbol chile is the best substitute. You can substitute spaghetti or linguini for the bucatini.
SERVES: 6 to 8
TOTAL TIME: 55 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2–4 teaspoons Calabrian peperoncini flakes
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- Salt and pepper
- 1 pound bucatini
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Grated Parmesan cheese
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Cook ¼ cup oil and garlic in 8-inch skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic begins to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in peperoncini flakes and cook until slightly darkened in color, about 45 seconds. Immediately transfer oil mixture to bowl and let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer garlic to cutting board, mince to paste, then return to oil mixture. Let stand until flavors meld, about 20 minutes.
- Wipe skillet clean with paper towels. Cook panko, 1 tablespoon oil, and ⅛ teaspoon salt in now-empty skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until lightly toasted, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to clean bowl and set aside for serving.
- Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add oil mixture, ¼ cup reserved cooking water, parsley, ½ teaspoon salt, and remaining ¼ cup oil and toss to combine. Adjust consistency with remaining reserved cooking water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle individual portions with bread crumbs and Parmesan before serving.
