Nobody is kissing anybody after this peperoncini pasta
A whole jar of peperoncini, chopped and browned in olive oil, then sharpened at the very end with its own brine.
At a Glance
Story
Peperoncini brine is vinegar, salt and a little of the peppers' heat, and here it does the job lemon does in most pasta, cutting through the butter and cheese at the last minute. Brands vary wildly in heat and salt, so taste the brine before it goes in. You may not need a pinch more salt.
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti
- kosher salt
- ⅜ cup extra-virgin olive oil¼ cup to start, 2 tbsp to finish
- 1 16 oz jar peperoncini
- 3 oil-packed anchovy filletscoarsely chopped
- 14 garlic clovesfinely grated
- 1 ½ oz Parmesanfinely grated, plus more to serve (about ¾ cup)
- 4 tbsp unsalted butterin pieces
- ½ cup finely chopped parsley
Method
Yes, fourteen cloves. Grated fine and cooked for a single minute, they turn sweet and loud rather than harsh. The anchovies melt into the oil and nobody at the table will ever know they were there unless you tell them, which I always do.
- Cook the spaghetti in well-salted water until 1 minute short of the packet time. Drain, keeping 1 cup of the water, and keep the pot.
- Drain the peperoncini over a bowl and save the brine. Chop the peppers finely; you should have about 1 cup.
- Heat ¼ cup of the oil in the pot over medium. Add the peperoncini and anchovies and stir now and then until the peppers are tender and lightly browned, 7 to 9 minutes.
- Turn the heat to low, add the garlic and stir just until fragrant, about 1 minute. It burns in the time it takes to answer the door.
- Add the Parmesan, butter, pasta and ½ cup of the pasta water. Toss, adding more water a splash at a time, until the cheese melts into a glossy sauce that clings to the pasta.
- Add ⅓ cup of the brine and the last 2 tbsp of oil and toss. Taste, then add more brine or salt a little at a time. Finish with the parsley and more Parmesan.
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