Pinci all’aglione
Does it taste like garlic?
Sa tanto di aglio? Valentina, our sister-in-law, asked dubiously. She was worried that the classic Tuscan pasta, pinci all’aglione, would taste strongly of garlic.
Valentina and Marco, Stefano’s brother, had driven up from Rome to spend the weekend with us. We were studying the menu at Trattoria il Pozzo in the tiny village of Sant’Angelo in Colle, just outside of Montalcino, famous for its Fiorentina steaks and traditional Tuscan fare.
“No!” we exclaimed. “It’s very delicate. It tastes more like a leek or a shallot than true garlic. Try it, you’ll like it.” Reluctantly, she agreed.
Wait, I thought Italians love garlic?
Outside of Italy, garlic is synonymous with “Italian food.” Here in the States, we find chunks of garlic in sauces, slices of raw garlic on pizza, and the occasional prominent supermarket deli display for “creamy garlic pasta salad” and other similar concoctions. Someone even invented garlic ice cream. Native Italians are often shocked at the amount of garlic people from other cultures add to what they consider “Italian food.”
In Italy, garlic is used sparingly, as a subtle supporting flavor rather than a dominant one. It’s intended for seasoning, not for consumption. Garlic may be used in a soffritto to add flavor, but the cloves are then removed. Italians do not usually leave pieces of garlic in their food, because it’s considered unpleasant to bite down on a chunk of garlic. Raw garlic is used sparingly and only in specific dishes, such as rubbed gently on toasted bread for bruschetta, or in pesto alla genovese.
Furthermore, garlic use varies by region and dish, which brings us to another point…
“Italian food” is a misnomer
Across Italy, there isn’t one single, unified cuisine. Instead, Italy’s culinary landscape is defined by cucine regionali, intensely regional traditions, each with its own dishes, ingredients, and flavor preferences shaped by both geography and history. Sicilian food bears little resemblance to Roman cuisine, which differs from what you will find on the table in Emilia Romagna or in Piedmont.
It’s for this reason that Valentina, who has lived her entire life just two and a half hours south in Rome, had never tried aglione and was skeptical about this Tuscan sauce made with giant cloves of garlic. Happily, she loved it.
What is aglione, anyway?
Like regular garlic, aglione is an allium. Aglio means garlic, and -one is an augmentative suffix in Italian, so aglione literally means “big garlic,” although in English it is often referred to as elephant garlic. Despite its name, aglione isn’t just overgrown garlic. Botanically, it’s closer to a leek than to garlic, with a mild, sweet flavor and a gentle aroma.
Pinci all’aglione is a classic Tuscan pasta dish originating in the Val di Chiana area of southern Tuscany. Pinci, as they are known in Montalcino, or pici in the rest of Tuscany, is a rustic, ropey handmade pasta made from only flour and water. To make the sauce, aglione is gently sautéed in olive oil and simmered with tomatoes until it becomes velvety and fragrant—a perfect expression of Tuscan simplicity.
Pinci all'aglione
Pinci all’aglione is a classic Tuscan pasta dish originating in the Val di Chiana, in southern Tuscany. Pinci, as they are known in Montalcino, or pici in the rest of Tuscany, is a rustic, ropey handmade pasta made from only flour and water. To make the sauce, aglione is gently sautéed in olive oil and simmered with tomatoes until it becomes velvety and fragrant—a perfect expression of Tuscan simplicity.
Ingredients
- 100 g (3.5 oz) aglione (elephant garlic)
- 50 g (about 3 ½ Tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
- 750 g (26 oz) tomato purée or whole canned tomatoes
- 80 g (about ⅓ cup) white wine
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt, to taste
- Basil, to garnish
- Parmigiano Reggiano, to top
Instructions
- Peel the cloves of aglione, cut them into pieces, and place them in a food processor with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Blend until smooth.
- Transfer the garlic pureè to a saucepan with 2–3 more tablespoons of olive oil. Cook gently over low heat for about 10 minutes. If desired, add a dash of red pepper flakes.
- Pour in the white wine and let it cook until the alcohol evaporates.
- If you are using canned tomatoes, pass them through a food mill or blend them to a smooth consistency. Stir in the tomato purée, then cook the sauce slowly over low heat for about 20 minutes. Salt to taste and turn off the heat.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pinci and cook until almost al dente.
- Transfer the pasta to the aglione sauce using a pasta claw or kitchen tongs. Preserve the cooking water.
- Over medium heat, finish cooking the pasta in the sauce, stirring constantly, adding cooking water if needed, and tasting the pasta for doneness. It will take another 4 or 5 minutes for the pasta to cook to al dente.
- Transfer the pasta to serving plates and top with a ladle of sauce and, if desired, a few basil leaves.
Notes
- Elephant garlic is available online from several vendors, including Rare Seeds.
- You can buy pinci (pici) from many online vendors, including D’Italia.
- If you want to make your own pinci, watchthis video by Tuscan food writer Judy Witts Francini of Simply Divina- My Tiny Tuscan Kitchen.
- Our preferred tomato puree is Mutti’s Passata di Pomodoro.
- Some locals told me they cut the aglione Others told me they blend the raw aglione with a few tablespoons of olive oil and use the pureeas the soffritto. pieces to soften enough to blend into the sauce.
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