Pici all'Aglione are a traditional dish from Siena in Tuscany. Pici are thick spaghetti, very similar to the Udon noodles, but they have the same bite as regular al dente pasta, served with a delicious garlic tomato sauce. Their typical thickness makes Pici dish a real indulgent dish to devour with gusto. Every bite is a mouthful of pasta and sauce.
Pici pasta is usually served with a variety of sauces, like this Pici all'Aglione with garlic tomato sauce or the cheesy Cacio e Pepe. Another very popular and traditional option is to serve them with Tuscan Ragù (my favorite is Pici with wild boar ragù).
Unlike other types of long pasta - such as Tagliatelle, Tagliolini, etc. Pici are usually made with only flour and water. Sometimes it has the addition of an egg or an egg white, depending on the recipes of family traditions.
Check out also this extensive guide with step-by-step videos on how to make 10 different shapes of fresh pasta without a pasta machine and a specific guide on how to make Pici pasta.
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Ingredients
- Pici Pasta: Make your own pici by following the recipe below, or buy dried pici. You can also use any other pasta shape you like with this sauce.
- Aglione: Aglione is a large garlic variety (see below for more details) which is very rare. Use standard garlic in its place for a similar taste. Do not use dried or jarred garlic.
- Tomato Sauce: Use whole plum tomatoes (san Marzano tomatoes), crushed tomatoes, or tomato passata (purèe) for the best tomato sauce. You can also use your favorite marinara sauce but the flavor will be very different.
- Chili pepper flakes: Use red chili pepper flakes or ground chili pepper to give the sauce a spicy kick. This is optional.
What is Aglione
The sauce "all'aglione" literally means "with big garlic". It gets the idea across perfectly because garlic is the main star of this sauce. Aglione, specifically, is a rare variety of garlic that can be found in Tuscany. It is much bigger than the normal garlic - hence the name - and with an intense and slightly sweeter taste. But I tried this Pici all'Aglione recipe with standard garlic (the only one I can find in the Netherlands) and it turned out great!
Variations
- Garlic-less: you can just avoid the garlic and make the spicy tomato sauce by adding a little bit more chili pepper flakes. It will become "Pici all'Arrabbiata"! Or, instead of mashing the garlic you can thinly slice it. This way you can easily remove it from your plate if you don't like it but it will still infuse the sauce with flavor.
- Meaty: Add some cooked chopped bacon or Italian sausage to the tomato sauce to make it meatier and more savory.
- Herbs: You can customize your tomato sauce by adding fresh or dried basil, thyme, oregano, or parsley to the sauce.
- Different pasta: You don't have time to make fresh pici? No problem, use spaghetti, tagliatelle, or your favorite pasta shape. This sauce goes well with every pasta!
- More veggies: You can add more veggies to the tomato sauce, like carrots, spinach, or bell peppers, although the flavor will be very different.
How to make the Pici Pasta
Step 1. In a large bowl, mix the flours with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
Step 2. Slowly add the water and mix with the fork until you have a rough dough, then knead it with your hands until you get a smooth ball of dough.
Step 3. Roll the dough into a thick sheet, then cut out into small strips.
Step 4. Roll each strip into thick noodles and set them aside.
How to make the Aglione pasta sauce
- Drizzle some olive oil in a medium pan or pot and add the mashed garlic cloves. Turn on the heat to low and add the canned tomatoes when the garlic starts to sizzle.
- Mix with a wooden spoon and turn the heat to medium. Add a teaspoon of sugar to break the acidity of the tomatoes (add more if needed), then add the chili pepper flakes and salt to taste.
- Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat again to low and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
Storage and Reheating
You can store Pici all'Aglione leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove with a splash of water until warm through.
Recipe FAQs
Traditionally, Pici all'Aglione is served without cheese to allow the flavors of the garlic and tomato to shine. However, if desired, a sprinkle of Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Toscano can be added before serving.
Yes, Pici all'Aglione is a vegetarian dish, making it suitable for those following a vegetarian diet. The ingredients are plant-based, focusing on pasta, tomatoes, and garlic.
Yes, if making pici from scratch is not feasible, you can substitute with store-bought Pici, thick spaghetti, or bucatini. However, the unique texture and bite of handmade pici enhance the overall dish.
Related Recipes
If you tried this recipe, please take a moment to rate it and share your thoughts in the comments. Your feedback means a lot to me! ★★★★★
📖 RECIPE
Pici all'Aglione - Pasta with Spicy Garlic Tomato Sauce
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Ingredients
For the Pici
- 3.5 oz Semolina Flour
- 3.5 oz All Purpose Flour
- ½ tablespoon EVO Oil
- ½ cup Water
- Salt
For the Aglione sauce
- 14 oz whole peeled Plum Tomatoes
- 4-5 Garlic cloves
- Chili pepper flakes
- EVO Oil
- 1-2 teaspoon Sugar
- Salt
- Grated Pecorino or Parmigiano cheese
Instructions
Make the Pici Dough
- Start making the pasta dough. Pour the semolina flour in a bowl and add a little bit of water at a time while mixing with your hands; when it starts to come together, add the olive oil and salt. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes adding more water if it crumbles or more flour if it's sticky until it becomes a smooth elastic ball.
- Cover the pasta dough in plastic wrap and set aside to rest.
Make the Sauce
- In a medium pan or pot, drizzle some olive oil and add the mashed garlic cloves. Turn on the heat to low and when the garlic starts to sizzle, add the canned tomatoes.
- Mix with a wooden spoon and turn the heat to medium. Add a teaspoon of sugar to break the acidity of the tomatoes (add more if needed), then add the chili pepper flakes and salt to taste.
- Bring to simmer than turn the heat again to low and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
Roll the Pici
- While the sauce simmers you can roll out the pici. Dust a cutting board (better wood or marble) with semolina flour and knead the pasta until it doesn't stick anymore to the cutting boeard, then roll it with a rollin pin until it's about ½ cm (¼ inch) thick then cut it into stripes of the same thickness.
- Roll the stripes of dough between your palms or on the cutting board as you prefer until you have Pici (you may cut the stripes in half if they are too long, Pici should be more or less as long as Spaghetti).
- Boil the pici in salted water for about 10 minutes or until al dente.
- Drain the pasta and toss is the sauce; remove from heat and serve with grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese on top.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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Vicki
I was wondering how the tomatoes make a sauce. Are you suppose to break the down with the spoon?
Jessica - Cooking my Dreams
Hi Vicki, usually canned tomatoes and ripe fresh tomatoes break really easily while cooking so breaking them with a spoon should be enough. Although it depends on the tomatoes, so if they stay too chunky you can give them a pulse in a blender. I will add this information also in the post, thanks! 🙂
Katia
Buondì Jessica...bello il tuo piatto di pici! Mio marito ci aggiunge anche un sacco di spezie al sugo. Interessante la ricetta dei pici stessi....non li ho mai fatti ma ci proverò senz'altro.
Jessica - Cooking my Dreams
Ciao Katia, grazie mille per il tuo commento! 🙂 Che spezie aggiunge tuo marito? Sono interessata a provare variazioni!
C2H5OBr
Hi!
Thanks for your article!
I'm wondering whether it is common to brown the garlic before adding in the tomatoes when making this specific sauce. Does the garlic have to retain its natural sharp flavor for the sauce to be authentic aglione, or is it OK to make it sort of fragrant and crispy? Also, do people practice adding a little wine or wine vinegar?
Jessica - Cooking my Dreams
Hi! Thank you so much for your comment!
The garlic does not have to brown otherwise it would become bitter, it has to slowly cook in the tomato sauce to infuse its flavor. You can leave it more raw by adding it later to sauce to have a stronger flavor but the garlic can be easily overwhelming, so it depends on your taste. 🙂
Wine or wine vinegar are never used in this sauce because it would be too acidic.
Have a nice day!
Jessica
C2H5OBr
Thanks a lot for your reply, Jessica! It gave me a better idea on what to shoot for.
Have a nice day and please keep publishing recipes of Tuscan dishes!