I included parsley this time.

While it was just as delicious as when I served the dish without it, my sentiment is that I probably prefer the more minimal version of aglio olio e peperoncino, especially if the pasta is of really exceptional quality.

• This is Mark Bittman’s recipe, which is pretty much what I did myself, using one small red cayenne pepper from Oak Grove Plantation, two garlic cloves from Norwich Meadows Farm, more than a third of a cup of parsley from Stokes Farm, and 12 ounces of Afeltra Spaghettone, a slightly fatter spaghetti, made in southern Campania with 100% Puglian grain, bronze-extruded and air-dried) from Eataly
• the wine was an Italian (Sardinia) white, La Cala Vermentino di Sardegna 2013
• the music was from the album, ‘Franz Anton Hofmeister: Complete Works for Viola‘, celebrating a composer and music publisher, also benefactor to and friend of Mozart, who is far more worthy than the modest fame he enjoys today would suggest