Spicy pici aglio e olio— chewy hand-rolled spaghetti tossed in garlicky olive oil, Calabrian chiles paste, and pasta water until perfectly glossy. Simple, spicy, and so darn delicious.

Why I love it:

If I’m going to spend a few hours in the kitchen, this spicy pici aglio e olio is exactly what I want to be making.

I’m much more of a savory girl than a sweet one— and while I love baking to death, I’d rather hand roll pici pasta and watch a pile of dough turn into spaghetti. (Apparently my love language is semolina: busiate, fileja, and now pici.)

They remind me of Italy’s version of ramen—chewy, spicy, a little messy. Historically, pici are the oldest pasta still made today, so their hand-rolled technique was probably influenced somewhere along the Silk Road. Which means, yeah, they kind of are Italy’s ramen.

And like the best Asian noodles, they shine with a simple, flavor-packed sauce: garlic, chili oil, and starchy pasta water emulsified into a glossy coating. I’m obsessed with Calabrian chile paste, but any chili paste or crushed red pepper flakes work beautifully. I’ve even made this with chili crisp and cilantro, and it’s so good. The goal isn’t authenticity— it’s heat and a ton of flavor!

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

How to Make Pici Aglio e Olio

2_how to make semolina dough — **1. Make the dough:** Start with semolina pasta dough.

1_brush semolina dough with olive oil — **Roll it out:** Flatten to about ⅛-inch thick and brush both sides with olive oil.

3_roll strips into noodles — **3. Cut and roll:** Slice into strips roughly the width of your thumb. Starting at one end, roll each strip back and forth with your palms, stretching it into a smooth, even rope about ¼-inch thick.

**4. Cook:** Toss the noodles in semolina to prevent sticking. Boil in salted water until tender but chewy, about 3 minutes.

4_make spicy garlic oil for pici — **5. Make the sauce:** In a large skillet, gently heat olive oil and garlic until fragrant but not browned. Add chile paste, salt, and pepper.

5_toss pici pasta in aglio e olio — **Combine:** Add cooked pici and a splash of pasta water, tossing until the sauce thickens and clings to the noodles. Finish with herbs and serve immediately.

Tips for the Best Pici

Embrace imperfection: The beauty of pici is in its rustic, handmade look—no two noodles should be the same.
Keep even pressure: Roll with steady, gentle pressure to avoid thin spots that might tear.
Skip the flour: If the dough slips while rolling, spritz your surface lightly with water for a bit more grip.
Use plenty of salt: Since the sauce is so simple, well-seasoned pasta water makes a big difference.
Don’t overthink it: The charm of this dish is its simplicity—garlic, chile, and chewy noodles are all you need.
Go big: If you want to ramp it up, make the sauce from my pappardelle bolognese recipe and toss it with pici instead. It’s so good!
Storage: Fresh pici pasta can stay at room temperature for up to 2 hours, or frozen for up to 1 month.

Spicy Pici Aglio e Olio

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Spicy pici aglio e olio— chewy hand-rolled spaghetti tossed in garlicky olive oil, Calabrian chile, and pasta water until perfectly glossy. Simple, spicy, and so darn delicious.

Author: Indi Hampton
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Yield: 4
Category: Pasta
Method: Handmade
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

1 lb semolina pasta dough
1 tbsp plus ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
Semolina flour, for dusting
4 garlic cloves, sliced into thin matchsticks
1 tbsp calabrian chile paste (can substitute 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes)
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup minced fresh herbs (flat-leaf parsley, thyme, oregano)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

To make pici, roll out the semolina dough into an 18” square, about ⅛” thick. Rub both sides with 1 tablespoon olive oil to soften the noodles and prevent drying out. Cut into strips about the width of your thumb.
Starting from the right end of a strip, use the heel of your right hand to gently roll back and forth, creating tension and stretching the dough into a smooth rope about ¼”-inch thick. As you work down the strip, dip finished sections lightly in semolina to prevent sticking. Transfer finished noodles to a semolina-dusted tray and repeat with remaining dough. Pici can stay at room temperature for up to 2 hours, or frozen for up to 1 month.
When ready to cook the pici, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring every so often, until tender but still chewy, about 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat remaining ⅔ cup olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chile paste (or crushed pepper flakes, if using) and a generous pinch of salt and pepper
Use tongs to transfer cooked pici to the skillet, along with 1 cup of pasta water, and heat over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring vigorously, until sauce thickens and coats the pasta, 2- 3 minutes. Taste and add more salt, pepper, or chile flakes. Stir in the herbs and serve hot.

Notes

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Nutrition

Serving Size: ¼ of recipe
Calories: 623
Sugar: 0.2g
Sodium: 160mg
Fat: 37g
Saturated Fat: 5.1g
Unsaturated Fat: 31.2g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 61g
Fiber: 3.3g
Protein: 11g
Cholesterol: 0mg