Ciriole alla Ternana con Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino
Umbria (Terni), central Italy
Ciriole are Terni's handmade pasta — thick, irregular spaghetti-like strands made from flour and water only (no egg), stretched and rolled by hand into cylinders of varying diameter, giving them a rustic appearance and chewy bite. The sauce is the region's most minimal: abundant raw olive oil, several cloves of thinly sliced garlic and dried Umbrian peperoncino bloomed in the cold oil, then heated together until the garlic is golden (not brown). Pasta cooking water is added to emulsify; the cooked ciriole are tossed in the sauce for 90 seconds over high heat. No cheese. Coarsely torn flat-leaf parsley finishes the dish.