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Put the toasted saffron threads into the mortar or spice grinder, and pulverize to a powder.
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Pour the olive oil and the salt into a small mixing bowl.
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Add the crushed saffron.
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Rinse the mortar with a tablespoon of hot water, collecting any remaining bits of ground saffron, and pour that into the saffron oil.
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Whisk to mix thoroughly.
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If you are not using the saffron oil right away, transfer the oil to a small container and let it infuse at room temperature for at least 1/2 hour.
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Shortly before using, whisk chopped parsley into the oil.
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(To store the oilpreferably before adding parsleycover the container and refrigerate for up to a week.)
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To dress maccheroni alla chitarra (or other pasta) with the saffron oil: Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente.
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Drain the cooked maccheroni, and drop the strands into a big warm bowl, drizzle the oil all over the top, and toss well (and quickly) to coat all the strands of pasta with golden oil.
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Sprinkle over it a cup or so of grated cheese, and toss again.
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Serve immediately in warm bowls, with more cheese at the table.
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One reason I feel such an affinity for the cooking of Abruzzo is the generous use of peperoncinohot red chili pepper, fresh or dried.
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Lavish spiciness is typical of southern Italian cuisines, and although I am from the north, I love it, and it makes me feel right at home.
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The Abruzzesi refer to their favorite red chilis as diavolicchio, diavolillo, or diavolinoall of which mean little deviland when you taste them youll know why.
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Often, these devilish peperoncini are steeped in olive oil, creating a spicy-hot condiment called olio santo or holy oil.
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If you love heat, a drizzle of this oil makes a good dish more heavenly.
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Olio santo is an indispensable condiment in Abruzzo, set on the table so that everyone can regulate the level of heat in a dish to his or her own taste.
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Whether its a soup, a pasta, or a main dish, if you want more heat, all you need to do is sprinkle over it a teaspoon of holy oil, give it a stir, and get immediate results.
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To make your own olio santo, pour a cup of good extra-virgin olive oil into a glass jar, and drop in a teaspoon of kosher salt and 2 tablespoons of small whole dried peperoncini, about ten little peppers (see Sources, page 387).
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Cover tightly, and let the oil infuse at room temperature for at least 2 days.
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Give it a good shake, and use.
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Store in the sealed jar, in a cool place, for a month or more.
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(If you are a peperoncino-lover, too, be sure to try the heavenly pasta from Basilicata, Fiery Maccheroni [page 311].
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25
Its peperoncino-paste dressing is also a hot all-purpose condiment.)
