Elephant Garlic Pasta (Pici all’Aglione).

Method6 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Peel, chop and crush the small head of elephant garlic (aglione) (1 small head), or its four large cloves; the author used a head weighing about 200 g. Chop the half red chilli if using it, removing seeds for less heat if desired; omit it or use a little flakes instead. If using fresh tomatoes instead of passata, peel and chop the 400 g tomatoes now. Do not add both tomato alternatives.

   Uses 1 small head aglione, or four large elephant-garlic cloves · Half a fresh red chilli, only if using it · 400 g fresh tomatoes to peel and chop, only for the fresh-tomato alternative

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Sauté the prepared aglione and optional chilli from step 1 in the 2 tablespoons olive oil just until the garlic begins to soften. Add a little warm water, cover and begin cooking slowly over low heat for about 15 minutes. Follow step 3 during this same cooking period; this is not another 15-minute stage.

   Soften aglione about 15 minutes, mashing during step 3 · 15 minUses All chopped and crushed elephant garlic from step 1 · Chopped half-chilli from step 1, if using fresh chilli · Optional chilli flakes instead of the fresh half-chilli, an unspecified small amount · 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. · A little warm water to soften the aglione

3. 3

   Step 3: During the roughly 15-minute covered cooking period started in step 2, mash the aglione with a fork every few minutes. Add a little more warm water only if needed. Keep the heat low so it becomes soft and creamy without browning.

   Uses The covered aglione pan started in step 2 · More warm water only if needed while the aglione softens

4. 4

   Step 4: Add the 400 g tomato passata to the soft aglione, or the prepared fresh tomatoes from step 1 instead. Season with sauce salt and black pepper and mix. Cover and simmer gently for about 20 minutes.

   Simmer tomato sauce · 20 minUses All creamy aglione and its pan liquid from step 3 · 400 g passata only for the passata route · All peeled, chopped 400 g tomatoes instead, only for the fresh-tomato route · Salt for the aglione tomato sauce, to taste · freshly ground black pepper. (to taste)

5. 5

   Step 5: While the tomato sauce simmers, bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it and return it to the boil. Cook the 400 g pici until al dente according to its packet. The article gives about 12 minutes for dried pici; fresh pici cooks faster, so use its actual packet and texture if substituting it.

   Pici: use packet; dried guide about 12 minutes · 12 minUses 400 g pici pasta, dried for the primary route; fresh pici, thick spaghetti or bucatini may replace it (author’s metric quantity for 14 oz) · Water to boil the pici · Salt for the pasta cooking water

6. 6

   Step 6: Drain the cooked pici from step 5 and gently mix with all the aglione tomato sauce from step 4 over low heat. Serve immediately, optionally with washed and chopped fresh basil. The primary recipe is vegan: omit Pecorino Romano, or use a labelled vegan alternative. Grated traditional Pecorino is an optional non-vegan, non-vegetarian serving variation.

   Uses All cooked pici from step 5 · All aglione tomato sauce from step 4 · Optional fresh basil leaves, to wash and chop for serving · Optional Pecorino Romano only for the separate non-vegan, non-vegetarian serving variation · Water for washing optional basil leaves