Having just returned from Rome, I thought we'd have a Roman pasta dish this evening. Arrabbiata means 'angry', referring to the fieriness of the chillies, but you'll not end up too hot under the collar after eating this dish. It's very quick and easy to make, smells absolutely gorgeous, and this recipe will feed two. Just double the ingredients if you're feeding four.
Ingredients:
10½ oz (300 g) penne rigate pasta
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 fat red chillies, very finely chopped
4 fl oz (125 ml) dry white wine (we used a Riesling)
2 tsp tomato purée
14 oz (400 g) can good quality peeled plum tomatoes (we used Cirio)
2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan or Pecorino Romano to serve
Cooking Instructions:
Begin by putting the water on to boil for the pasta.
Next, heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until tender. Add the chillies and wine, turn up the heat and cook for 1 minute (see photo below); this is a good time to inhale deeply... wonderful!
Add the tomato purée and tinned tomatoes, then reduce the heat and simmer for 8 minutes (see photo above).
Put the pasta on and cook according to the instructions on the packet. While the pasta is cooking, add the basil to the sauce, and some salt and black pepper to taste, then leave it to simmer (see photo below).
When the pasta is cooked, drain it and then fling it into the pan with the sauce. Give everything a good mix up so the pasta gets a good coating of the sauce, then serve with some grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano. Yum!
Buon appetito!
