Aglio Olio

Aglio Olio - For some reason, in our family, this dish has created fear among those who have never made it.  In years past , a few of the Rossi sisters would make big batches for Christmas Eve dinner. However, it is not a difficult pasta dish to prepare . . . so Rossi Family, it's time to "go for it" - now who is making it this year?

Rossipes is the book I put together of family recipes

Each of the sisters had her own version of  the dish and each spelled it a bit different too.

Ailya-Oilya was from my aunt Yvonne Rossi's recipe. 

Agli D’ Olio  was how my aunt Gloria Pistacchio wrote it. 

Agli Olio  was the way my aunt Mollie Cinnelli spelled it.

How ever we spelled it, we pronounce it: “ah-ya-ooh-ya”

 

Here is one version of our family classic pasta dish:

4 cloves garlic – minced

1/2 cup olive oil

6 cups hot water

1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper

6 ounces chopped green olives with liquid

1 or 2 cans anchovies

6 or 8 capers (optional)

1 pound vermicelli

Heat garlic in olive oil, but do not brown. Add hot water and salt and pepper. Add green olives and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Add anchovies and the oil in the cans and break up with the back of a wooden spoon. Add capers, if desired. Simmer for another 15 minutes. Cook vermicelli according to pkg directions. Stir sauce with a large scooper spoon while putting over vermicelli. Tastes better when allowed to set for a while. Sauce will keep for a month in refrigerator.

The handwritten recipes are in Rossipes and make the book extra special 

garlic ready to go for the sauce

other ingredients for the dish

my version was made without capers

The Rossi girls from left to right: Aunt Gloria, Aunt Eve,
Grandmother Grace, Aunt Connie, Aunt Mollie, and my Mom, Eleanor

My granddaughter, Olive Grace, likes olives and loves pasta, and calls herself "Ahya"
I might have to make her a batch of Aglio Olio, but without the hot peppers!