Pici all'aglione

Step 1: Mix 14 oz plain flour or tipo 00 with ¾ cup warm water, 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp salt into a firm dough. Knead for 8 minutes, until smooth, then cover and rest for 30 minutes.

Step 2: Meanwhile blanch the cloves of 2 heads garlic in boiling water for 2 minutes, drain and slice thinly. Blanching tames ordinary garlic so it tastes closer to mild aglione.

Step 3: Warm 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a pan over a very low heat, add the garlic and ½ tsp dried chilli flakes, if using, and cook for 10 minutes, mashing it with a fork, until soft and creamy but not brown.

Step 4: Add 1 ½ lb passata or crushed tinned tomatoes and 1 tsp red wine vinegar, if using. Simmer gently for 25 minutes, until thick. Common mistake: frying the garlic hard; it must melt into the sauce, not crisp.

Step 5: Roll the dough to 1 cm thick and cut into strips. Roll each strip under your palms on a wooden board into a rope about as thick as a pencil, and lay it on a tray dusted with 1 ¾ oz fine semolina.

Step 6: Cook the pici in a large pan of salted boiling water for 4–6 minutes, until they float and are tender but chewy. Drain, toss in the sauce for 1 minute and serve.