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I make Spaghetti AOP (Aglio, Olio e Peperoncini) almost weekly for my Bolognese husband. It requires VERY good olive oil, the best you can find.

But don't put all the olive oil in the pan. Use a saute pan large enough to hold the spaghetti , but just enough oil to saute the garlic (maybe 1/4 cup?). Add the pepper after the garlic is sauteed and a little salt. When the pasta is al dente, drain it and toss it into the saute pan, get all the garlic and oil and peppers mixed in well, then serve it in bowls. Provide freshly ground salt (optional) and a bottle of EXCELLENT olive oil to drizzle on the pasta just before eating. You don't need herbs or lemon juice - if you've got good olive oil and other ingredients. Some parsley is nice, but lemon juice would just cover the taste of the other ingredients, in my opinion. (My husband shuddered when I mentioned it.)

I bake mine so it's crispy all through. Yum!

We served a 2004 Leveroni Pinot Noir. Lovely red, that held up well alongside the turkey with wild rice sausage stuffing. We let it breathe for about an hour before serving.

I make a version of this almost every week for a side dish, but with a lot less olive oil, less garlic (minced, not sliced), and more parsley (minced instead of chopped). I like to toss in bread crumbs at the end. Never thought of adding lemon juice, though; I'll definitely give that a try.

Crispy AND pliant, please!

It has to be CRISP!

I like my bacon crisp, but with a little give to it. I usually buy from the local farmer's market so it's a thicker cut.

i'm going to be 'that girl' here and say in between. i don't like bacon that is so crisp it crumbles, it's got to have that little bit of chew so it doesn't fall apart in a blt!