Marlena Spieler

Mediterranean Spiced Olive Oil

Preparation info
  • Makes about

    250 ml

    • Difficulty

      Easy

Appears in
Hot and Spicy
Hot and Spicy

By Marlena Spieler

Published 1985

  • About

Steeping hot peppers and husky mountain herbs in olive oil makes a delicious sprinkling oil for pizza. In Florence similar oils are used to sauté garlic and seafood, then spoon over pasta. A drizzle of this hot oil turns any simple tomato-sauced pasta into a spicy arrabbiata.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes or bird’s eye chillies, whole
  • Several sprigs of dry thyme or herbes de Provence

Method

  1. Place the hot peppers with the herbs and olive oil in a saucepan.
  2. Gently heat until hot but not boiling. Add the bay leaves.
  3. Let cool, and pour into a bottle to use as desired.

A simple dish using the oil

Pasta with Hot Pepper-Garlic Prawns A Florentine friend makes this simple pasta for a quic