Pici all’Aglione is a typical Tuscan dish, which you’ll find most often in the southern part of the province of Siena. Pici is essentially the Sienese version of spaghetti. It comes in long ribbons, which are quite thick and rounded – they’re ideal if you want a quick and easy (and filling) meal. Pici all’Aglione is a very simple dish: it's just pici pasta with a strong garlic and pepper sauce.
This recipe has been provided by Lorenza, the manager at the excellent Hotel Santa Caterina in Siena. Lorenza, who was born in Siena, used to eat Pici all’Aglione at home when she was a child and still enjoys it today. The Hotel Santa Caterina (Vis E. S. Piccolomini 7, T +39 0577 221105) is just a couple of minute’s walk from the Porta Romana in Siena, an enormous gate in the city wall. The hotel has a lovely garden, with picture postcard views of the Tuscan countryside: gorgeous when you eat your breakfast outside on a sunny morning. The Hotel Santa Caterina doesn’t serve lunch or dinner, but there are plenty of nearby restaurants where you can enjoy some traditional Sienese pici.
Pici Pasta with Garlic Sauce - Recipe
Pici all’Aglione
Ingredients - Serves 4
- 400 gm pici pasta (use fresh or dried as you choose)
- 4 large cloves of garlic
- 4 large, very ripe tomatoes, cut into cubes with seeds removed
- 1 red pepper, finely sliced (don’t discard the seeds)
- Olive oil
- Salt
Method
- Cook the pici in boiling water, according to instructions on the pack. The pasta will take much less time to cook if it’s fresh. Lorenza says that at home she used to cook fresh pici in under 10 minutes. Ideally cook the pasta al dente – so it has a slight ‘bite’ to it.
- While the pici iscooking, crush the garlic cloves and fry them gently in olive oil. Don’t have the oil too hot, you don’t want to burn the garlic. Fry the cloves until they’re a light golden colour.
- When the garlic is done, add the flesh – and seeds – of the red pepper. Cook gently in the oil.
- Finally add the chunks of tomato. Do try and ensure you’ve removed the tomato seeds, says Lorenza, as they’re acidic and will spoil the flavour of the sauce. Add a pinch of salt and cook gently until the sauce is nice and thick.
- When the pici is cooked, drain well. Then add the cooked pasta to the pan with the sauce, turn up the heat slightly for a few minutes and cook them together.
- Then serve as it comes, perhaps with a fresh salad on the side. The Sienese would not add anything to this dish, as they like to enjoy the full flavour of the garlic. If you like you can serve some Parmesan cheese separately, but only to sprinkle on top.
Read about Where to Eat in Siena
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