Pici Pasta with Elephant Garlic (Aglione) Sauce
This recipe combines hand-rolled, thick pici pasta with a rich, garlicky tomato sauce, sparked with a hint of chili.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time35 minutes mins
Course: First Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Pici Pasta, Pici with Garlic
Servings: 4
Author: Guido Pasquariello
- 1 lb pici pasta or substitute with thick spaghetti
- 3 cloves of Elephant Garlic (Aglione in Tuscany) substitute with mild garlic if unavailable, roughly chopped
- 3 cups canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 small chili pepper roughly chopped
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Olive oil as needed
Prepare Elephant Garlic Cream: Start by removing the skins from the garlic cloves. Roughly chop them and put them into a blender. Add a generous amount of olive oil and a pinch of coarse salt. Blend until you get a smooth cream.
3 cloves of Elephant Garlic (Aglione in Tuscany), Olive oil, Salt
Cook Elephant Garlic Cream: Pour the garlic cream into a skillet and add a drizzle of olive oil. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring continuously to prevent sticking. Add the crushed tomatoes and the chopped chili pepper, season with salt and a pinch of black pepper.
3 cups canned crushed tomatoes, 1 small chili pepper, Black pepper
Simmer Sauce: Cover and simmer the sauce over low heat for about 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt if necessary.
Cook Pasta: While the sauce simmers, boil the pici in plenty of salted water until al dente. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce, tossing well to combine.
1 lb pici pasta
Serve: Once the pasta is well coated with the sauce, it’s ready to serve. Enjoy the hearty flavors of Tuscany on your plate!
- If you can’t find Elephant Garlic, use large cloves of mild garlic to replicate its sweet, delicate flavor.
- Fresh hand made Pici pasta is traditional for this dish, but thick spaghetti makes a great substitute if pici isn’t available.