“Pici all’Aglione” is the name of a typical Tuscan first course: it’s impossible to find an osteria or a restaurant in Siena’s province that do not proposes it in its menu.
The “pici” are large rustic spaghettis which are usually homemade through a processing technique called “appiciare”. Anyway, it’s possible to buy them in an ordinary Tuscan delicatessen or in “special and typical pasta” departments in supermarkets.
The seasoning is composed by tomato and a specific variety of garlic called “aglione”, which is typical of Valdichiana area. The difference is visible: one head of “aglione” can weigh more than half a kilo and its flavor is more delicate than ordinary garlic’s.
This ancient recipe is quite easy: the only difficulty is avoiding to exceed in garlic’s browning, as its unpleasant aftertaste would ruin the whole dish.
Even one of my colleagues chose to taste this dish in the “Antico Posto di Ristoro”, a restaurant where we stopped eating some days ago, while we were coming back from a tour to Arezzo. We’re on a secondary road connecting Arezzo to Val Tiberina where the mouthwatering smell of the barbecue steaks spreads in the air. In fact, the restaurant’s specialty is meat: the menu proposes numerous dishes based on wind game, lamb, duck and rabbit, as well as the popular “bistecca alla fiorentina”. The Piomboni family owns this restaurant as well as some wonderful villas in Anghiari which are managed by Posarelli Villas: "Villa Lorenzo"”.
Here’s the recipe of this delicious dish:
INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PERSONS:
◾8 Aglione slices
◾4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
◾4 tablespoons of white wine
◾700g tomato pulp cubes
◾Salt
◾Sugar
◾330 g pici pasta
1. First, peel garlic slices, cut them in halves and remove the internal green sprout. You’re free to choose how much garlic you want to use, but don’t exaggerate: if the flavor is too strong, the dish would taste unpleasantly. Slice them thinly or crush them with a garlic press.
2. Heat olive oil in a large 12 to 14-inch pan that will contain the pasta and its seasoning after. Once it’s warm, add chopped garlic and let it soften. If necessary, crush it again with a wooden spoon during cooking. Let it get a golden color (but don’t make it become dark) and, once it’s soft, add white wine and cook for some minutes. After 4-5 minutes, the wine should be completely vanished and the garlic should be almost melted.
3. Add tomato puree, salt and a pinch of sugar (to reduce tomato sourness and give a bittersweet taste to the dish). Cook the seasoning for 10-15 minutes over a low fire, stir it now and then with a wooden spoon to avoid it reduces too much.
4. Meanwhile, boil pici in salted water: their cooking time varies between 15 and 20 minutes. A little before draining them, light the fire under the seasoning pan.
5. Once they’re cooked, drain the pici and put them directly into the seasoning pan. Stir frequently to combine their flavors for a few minutes over a high fire.
6. Serve immediately. Buon appetito!
