Michael Marino and Jorge Moret’s Spicy Bucatini Aglio e Olio

Spicy Bucatini Aglio e Olio
Credit: Lauren Volo
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Spicy Bucatini Aglio e Olio
Credit: Lauren Volo

Jorge and I met in 2008, and after three months of seriously dating, I decided to introduce him to my parents. What better way to meet my Italian family than at Sunday dinner? Jorge was nervous, but I was sure it would work out beautifully because they were always very accepting and I knew they wanted me to meet a man whom I could grow old with. (That’s about the only traditional thing about them.) I had come out at a very early age to my family — I was 16 years old — so bringing Jorge home for Sunday dinner was not intimidating for me. My mom whipped up some spaghetti aglio e olio: a traditional Italian dish typically prepared when you don’t have many ingredients available. My parents instantly liked Jorge, and he liked them right back. It was a successful meeting of all my favorite people at the dinner table. This is our take on that recipe — made with crunchy breadcrumbs, thick bucatini, and anchovies for added savoriness.

This recipe is reprinted from Tasty Pride, a cookbook compiled by Jesse Szewczyk (one of our brilliant studio food editors!) and BuzzFeed’s Tasty. The book is a collection of delicious recipes that celebrates the vibrant queer food community.

Spicy Bucatini Aglio e Olio

Serves 4

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt

  • 1 pound

    dried bucatini

  • 1/4 cup

    extra-virgin olive oil

  • 5 cloves

    garlic, minced

  • 1

    anchovy fillet, minced

  • 1 tablespoon

    red pepper flakes

  • 1/4 cup

    plain breadcrumbs

  • 1/4 cup

    freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Instructions

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  1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until just shy of al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain.

  2. While the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the garlic and sauté until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the anchovy, red pepper flakes, and breadcrumbs. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the breadcrumbs start to crisp. Remove the pan from the heat.

  3. Add the pasta to the pan with the breadcrumbs and return to medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and toss well to coat. If the pasta looks dry, add the reserved pasta water, a bit at a time, and continue cooking until the pasta is tender and the sauce is silky, about 2 minutes.

  4. Serve the pasta topped with freshly grated Pecorino Romano.

Recipe Notes

Reprinted with permission from Tasty Pride: 75 Recipes and Stories from the Queer Food Community by Jesse Szewczyk and BuzzFeed's Tasty, copyright© 2020. Published by Clarkson Potter Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House.