PICI WITH AGLOIONE is a tasty first course typical of Tuscan cuisine, specifically from the Val di Chiana area, a pasta dish with ancient, simple, and genuine flavors that will win you over with its aroma and taste.
The ingredient that makes this dish unique is definitely the aglione, not to be confused with classic garlic, as aglione is larger in size and has a more delicate flavor, and unlike garlic, it is much more digestible because it lacks alliin, the substance that gives garlic its strong taste and odor.
The aglione sauce is perfect for dressing any type of pasta, from fresh to dry, but with pici, we prepare the original Tuscan recipe, a type of hand-made fresh pasta similar to large spaghetti but made with water, flour, and oil. If you can’t find pici in your area, you could alternatively use bigoli.
I bought the aglione in Tuscany after tasting this truly delicious and appetizing first course, but back in Rome, I saw that it’s also available in better-stocked supermarkets or agricultural businesses, some of which produce it in my area.
I suggest, if it’s your first time trying this dish, using a couple of cloves of aglione, so you can determine if you like it with more or less aglione for the next time you make it.
Let’s prepare together this delicious recipe for pici with aglione, follow me into the recipe so we can make it together!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4People
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1.1 lbs pici
- cloves of aglione
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2.5 cups tomato puree
- to taste salt
- to taste chili pepper
- Half cup dry white wine
- to taste basil
Steps
To prepare pici with aglione, start with aglione itself. I used three cloves for my sauce; if you like a more delicate aglione flavor, you can use two or even just one.
Peel the cloves and finely grate them with a small-hole grater, the one you use for cheese, and collect the aglione puree on a plate.
Now prepare the sauce, pour the oil into a saucepan, and add the grated aglione. Cook everything by constantly stirring with a wooden spatula. When the aglione starts sticking to the bottom of the pan, it means it is cooking well, so from this moment, cook for another 5 minutes while stirring.
Continue stirring and pour in the white wine, let it evaporate, then add the tomato puree, salt to taste, and chili pepper, which is optional but fits very well. Stir everything with the spoon and cook at medium-low heat with the lid on for 35 minutes.
Cook the pici in abundant boiling salted water, drain them, and put them directly into the saucepan with the sauce. Mix well to coat them, add basil torn by hand, and if desired, a generous sprinkle of Pecorino Romano. You’ll discover how delicious these pici with aglione are!
