Whole-Wheat Spaghetti

with Spinach, Garlic, and Fermented Chile Sauce

Makes 4 servings

If there’s a single dish that represents how I cook, this might be it. One of the first pasta dishes I learned at Union Square Cafe was linguine aglio e olio, a classic preparation in which you emulsify pasta water and olive oil together to make a light, silky sauce. The dish was so simple, yet elegant, and a demonstration of real technique. It inspired me to make the recipe you see here. I start with whole-wheat spaghetti, which has a nutty flavor that adds so much to the dish. We make our spaghetti from house-milled flour, but unless you own a pasta extruder, a high-quality dried whole-wheat spaghetti will work just as well. The rest of the recipe follows the aglio e olio (water and oil) template, but we add handfuls of spinach and herbs that gently wilt into the spaghetti and top the dish with a large spoonful of fermented chile sauce, which adds the acidity you’d get from a squeeze of lemon.

Fermented Chile Sauce

Makes 3½ cups

In a food processor, combine the garlic, chiles, sugar, and salt. Pulse until a coarse mash forms. Transfer to a very clean container and cover with cheesecloth. Let ferment at room temperature for 24 hours.

Meanwhile, combine the olive oil and paprika in a small saucepan. Heat the mixture over low heat until it reaches 180°F, then turn off the heat and let infuse for 2 hours. Strain through a coffee filter and let the oil cool to room temperature.

Stir the paprika oil and vinegar into the fermented chile mixture. Transfer to a storage container and refrigerate for up to 1 month.

For Serving

  • 12 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
  • ¼ cup roughly chopped mint
  • ¼ cup torn basil
  • 5 ounces baby spinach (about 4 loosely packed cups)
  • Kosher salt
  • ¼ cup Fermented Chile Sauce
  • ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the spaghetti until al dente. Drain, saving about 1 cup of the pasta water.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until lightly golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mint and basil and cook until they start to wilt, about 30 seconds. Add the spinach, season with salt, and cook, tossing with tongs, until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the drained spaghetti to the pan along with a splash of pasta water and toss to emulsify the oil and water, adding more water if needed.

Divide the spaghetti and spinach among serving bowls. Top each bowl of pasta with a big spoonful of chile sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan, and serve.

The Takeaway

The fermented chile sauce is one of our most-used pantry staples, both by itself and as the base for other sauces, including the Sweet and Spicy Sauce, and the Chile Aioli. It’s based on sambal oelek, the Indonesian chile paste, but is a touch less spicy. If you haven’t played around with making fermented sauces at home, this is an easy place to start. As with any fermentation, make sure everything you’re using is clean, and use the freshest chiles you can find. It’s rare to have a ferment go bad, but if you see any mold forming on your chile puree, throw it out and start over. I like using widely available red finger chiles as the base for the sauce, but you can experiment with other chiles, or a mix of several varieties.