Bucatini Aglio e Olio

 

Bucatini is my very favorite long noodle pasta. It's spaghetti's big brother. Bucatini is to spaghetti what steak is to ground beef. It's bigger, thicker and heartier....and it has a hole in the middle. So the sauce doesn't just coat the surface, it gets into the middle of the noodle as well.

Due to climate change and a drought in Europe, there has been a wheat shortage world-wide. Also, demand for pasta skyrocketed during the pandemic, which caused shortages in stores. Many manufacturers shifted their production to noodles that were easier to make, like spaghetti and linguini. So finding bucatini has been no easy task.

There is a single brand of Italian pasta which I covet above all others. Rustichella d'Abruzzo pasta is made from durum wheat semolina. Their wheat fields are blessed by a combination of fertile soil, salty Adriatic breezes and pure Apennine mountain spring water. Once processed, the dough is extruded through brass dies...giving the pasta a very rough surface which allows the sauce to cling fiercely to the noodle.

After extrusion, the pasta is air-dried in temperature-controlled chambers for 56 hours, thus adding another dimension to flavor and texture. This pasta has a "bite" like nothing else I have tasted. They have been using this manufacturing process for 98 years. It's more expensive than other brands and it's difficult to find on regular grocery store shelves. I buy all of my different Rustichella d'Abruzzo pastas in bulk from Market Hall Foods to ensure I always have them in my pantry. Here is the link to their web site: https://www.markethallfoods.com (I have no affiliation with them.)

INGREDIENTS

Rustichella d'Abruzzo Bucatini, 17.6 ounces

3 tablespoons salt

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

8-10 cloves of garlic, sliced thin

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more to taste....yes, please)

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill a large stockpot with water, add salt and bring to a boil. Add bucatini and cook for 10 minutes.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté  for 3 to 5 minutes, until garlic is slightly golden. Do not let garlic burn.
3. As soon as pasta is done, use tongs to transfer pasta and 1/2 cup pasta water to the pan. Toss continuously until bucatini is evenly coated in the oil.
4. Give pasta a quick taste and add salt and/or pepper flakes as needed.
5. Serve immediately and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Wine pairing: Chianti