Spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino

Spaghetti tossed with garlic that's been poached in beautiful Italian extra virgin olive with specks of dried red pepper flakes, freshly ground black pepper, and briny pepperoncini. All topped in a floof of grated parmesan.

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Course Main Course, Mains, Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Ingredients

1 lb. box dried spaghetti I use DeCecco or Trader Joe's
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil the best you have
8 cloves of garlic approximately 1/3 cup! (or to taste)
1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes or more to taste
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper or more to taste
6-8 whole pepperoncini (or to taste) chopped
6 oz. Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano freshly grated

Instructions

Put on a large pot of water to boil. Salt the water liberally.
While waiting for the water to boil, put the olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat.
Peel and cut the ends off of the garlic.
TRADITIONAL VERSION: Cut the garlic cloves into very thin slivers.
LAZY VERSION: Plunk them whole into the warming oil.
Add the dried pepper flakes and black pepper. Swirl the saucepan occasionally to stir until the garlic just starts to get tan in color. Turn off the heat.
Cut off the ends of the pepperoncini and coarsely chop. Set aside. NOTE: If you have some who like and some who don't like the heat, chop more pepperoncini to pass at the table.
Grate the cheese.
IF USING THE LAZY METHOD: When garlic has softened, about 10 minutes, use the tines of a fork to mash the cloves into chunks. Keep the garlic in identifiable bits; you don't want a paste.
When the pasta has finished cooking, drain and put back into the pot off the heat. Pour the oil, peppers, and garlic into the pasta and toss. Add the chopped pepperoncini and toss. Put into a serving bowl and top with a generous shower of the grated cheese. Save a small bowlful of cheese to pass at the table.

Notes

The irritating use of "or more to taste" will make sense if the first time you make it you think, "whoa! this is too hot!" or vice versa. It's really a taste preference thing. The recipe above is pretty mild on a heat scale to my taste buds but could possibly blow the top off your head.