Steps

1. Boil plenty of water in a pot and add salt (0.8% salinity) to dissolve. TIP! Since kombu tea contains salt, the pasta boiling water should have a lower salinity of 0.8%.
   🕒 20:40
2. Remove the core from 3 cloves of garlic (15g) and mince it. Cut 2 red chili peppers lengthwise in half and remove the seeds. TIP! Remove the garlic core to prevent burning. Removing the seeds from the red chili peppers reduces spiciness, allowing only the umami flavor to transfer.
   🕒 22:17
3. Put 2 tbsp olive oil and the minced garlic into a frying pan. TIP! If you soak the garlic in the oil overnight, the raw garlic aroma will transfer to the oil, creating a richer flavor.
   🕒 22:39
4. Roughly chop 3g Italian parsley. If using only a small amount for color, you can chop it even finer.
   🕒 24:42
5. Cook 100g pasta in a pot to a firm al dente, slightly shorter than the package instructions (e.g., if boiling for 3.5 minutes).
   🕒 26:47
6. Heat the olive oil and garlic in the frying pan over high heat. Turn off the heat immediately once it starts to sizzle. TIP! It's crucial to turn off the heat immediately to prevent the garlic from burning. Burnt garlic will create a roasted garlic flavor, which is different from peperoncino.
   🕒 26:47
7. Add the red chili peppers to the pan (with the heat off), then slowly heat over ultra-low heat (barely perceptible flame) to extract their umami.
   🕒 27:27
8. Add the cooked pasta to the frying pan, along with 2 ladles of pasta cooking water and 1 tsp kombu tea, and simmer over medium-low heat until reduced. TIP! By simmering the pasta and cooking water together, the pasta starch transfers to the sauce, thickening it and making it easier to emulsify. Cook over medium-low heat to avoid excessive boiling. You can adjust the kombu tea to a total of 1.5 tsp while tasting.
   🕒 28:34
9. Once the sauce has thickened, add the Italian parsley and toss to combine.
   🕒 29:48
10. Plate the pasta and drizzle with finishing olive oil to taste.
    🕒 30:13
11. For an extra flavor boost, generously sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano to taste. TIP! Adding Parmigiano-Reggiano significantly enhances the umami and creates a deeper flavor. It pairs well with most pastas, except for seafood-based ones.
    🕒 31:11