• Put the oil in a large frying pan, on medium heat.
• Remove the seeds from the chilli and cut into small pieces. Add to the oil.
• Finely cut the garlic and add to the oil.
• While the chilli and garlic are cooking in the oil, cook the spaghetti (see How to Cook Spaghetti).
• When the spaghetti is cooked, drain off the water and add to the frying pan.
• Mix the spaghetti into the sauce so that the oil, garlic and chilli are evenly distributed. It is then ready to serve.

Notes:

• Make sure that the frying pan is a good size, preferably with high sides. The reason for this is that it needs to be big enough to add the cooked spaghetti to.
• You can increase or decrease the amount of chilli and garlic, depending on your personal preference.
• The chilli and garlic should be cooked, but not burnt. Be carefull to cook on moderate heat and turn down immediately if it stars to burn.
• Some versions of this recipe call for fresh chopped parsley to be sprinkled over the spaghetti once it is served. Note that the parsley should be added once the spaghetti is on the plates, as adding it earlier will result in it wilting. The parsley adds not only taste but also colour to the dish, which then reflects the national colours of Italy (red in the chilli, green in the parsley, and white in the spaghetti).

The Italian name for this dish 'aglio, olio e peperoncino' is simply a list of the ingredients: garlic, oil and pepper. In Italy they don't need to specify that the oil is olive oil as this is easily assumed.

The disk is believed to have originated in the Italian region of Abruzzo, although this is not certain. It is now found throughout Italy and reputedly is popular for its invigorating properties on late nights (due largely to the hot chilli).

I originally enjoyed the disk on a business trip to Milan and it is now my favorite Spaghetti recipe.

My kitchen always has a flask of olive oil with dried chilli peppers in it. So, for this dish, if I don't have a fresh chilli pepper, I simply use this spicy oil.