Pasta Arrabbiata

The name conjures up the meaning 'angry sauce' because of the hot chilli in it. Good way to use up tomatoes with just a little chilli - whether you use dried or fresh is alright. It's very easy, in fact, I'm discovering now a lot of these Italian pasta sauces are quite easy and fast to do. You'll just have to use fresh ingredients as much as possible to get the best flavour. Vegetarians or even vegans will like it as well with nary a sight of meat in it. A lot of Italian cookbooks advise not to serve with Parmesan cheese. I wonder why, because of the spiciness? Certainly when I had it I prefer it as it is, mopping up the sauce with some butter smeared warm crusty bread and a glass of red wine. Mmmm...

The Food of Italy cookbook provided the original material which I adapted.


Pasta Arrabbiata

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 fresh birds eye chilli or 1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes (or to taste)
800 g  canned chopped tomatoes or fresh tomatoes*
sea salt
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
500 g  penne or rigatoni dried pasta

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan or pot in low heat.
2. Saute garlic and chillies until garlic is light golden brown. Keep the heat low to prevent the garlic from burning.
3. Add the tomatoes and season with salt to taste.
4. Simmer gently for about 30 minutes or until sauce is thick and rich.
5. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and drizzle a little olive oil to prevent it from sticking to each other.
6. Add the basil to the sauce and season again just before serving. Toss the pasta with the sauce and serve.

*Note: If using fresh tomatoes peel it first - lightly score the bottom of each tomatoes with two lines crossing each other. Blanch the tomatoes in hot water for about 30 seconds. Drain. By this time the tomatoes should be easier to peel, simply pull off skin from the bottom and all around.