Considering it’s been sweltering in Bushwick for the last week or so, I’ve had little desire to stand over a hot stove and actually cook. The prospect of someone else slaving away in a hot kitchen and being able to eat in nice cool air conditioning has led me out to restaurants every night, and completely decimated my bank account. So this week it’s back to basics and budget-friendly meals; I decided Penne All’Arrabbiata would be the perfect dish — it’s cheap, simple, spicy, and the ingredients can be found in ANY supermarket. Since it seemed selfish for me to keep all of this deliciousness to myself, I invited over AB, my favorite person to feed. At first, we weren’t convinced that the sauce was spicy enough, but after a few forkfuls the heat really caught up with us.
Ingredients:
Olive oil
1/2 box penne pasta
2 cloves garlic (finely sliced)
1/2 onion (finely sliced)
28 oz. tomato puree
1 dried red chili pepper (I wanted to use Jalapeños, but they’re still on the FDA don’t eat list — so out of concern for not poisoning my guest, I used whatever other kind of chili I found at the supermarket)
Salt and pepper
1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
Fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, basil or sage)
Directions:
Saute the garlic, onion and chili in olive oil over low heat until soft (about 3 minutes).
Add the tomatoes and let cook until the sauce is thick (about 20 minutes).
While the sauce is simmering, bring a pot of water up to boil and cook the pasta.
After the sauce thickens, add the vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.
When the pasta is al’dente, drain (reserving some of the cooking water), add to the sauce and toss to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add some of the reserved cooking water.
Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with fresh herbs.
Serves 2
Of course, since I can’t feed someone just pasta, I started with a simple salad of spring mix, thinly sliced fennel and shaved Parmesan dressed lightly with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper; I finished with homemade “3x Chocolate Chip Cookies (no, you can’t have the recipe, it’s my secret weapon)” and vanilla ice cream sandwiches. Amen!
Jeremy Sapienza July 25th, 2008 at 10:17 am
Maybe YOU can’t just eat pasta, but on days I crave it, I do NOT want salad fucking up my starch. Huge pile of pasta on a plate in front of the tv, shoving forkfuls into my mouth until I collapse onto my side. Yeah I learned great eating habits from my dad.
anna July 25th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Sounds like the good old half Italian way, J! pasta = love.
paige! July 25th, 2008 at 11:00 am
I have to admit, Jeremy, that’s exactly how I ate the leftovers last night.
Jessica Elsas July 25th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
I’m getting all hot and bothered just thinking about this pasta.
mopar July 25th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Thanks for the ideas. Can totally relate to the heat & decimated bank account & rejuvinated desire to cook. My two cents on cooking with locally available ingredients: We bought some pork chops at C-town and they were delicious. I was surprised. I make lots of chorizo and lentil soup (and am tired of it). There is a Mexican grocery store on the corner of Harman and Wyckoff that has fresh greens, including verdelagas (purslane). They are new to me, and I am going to give them a try this weekend. Also, I am looking into pasta sauces made with canned anchovies and sardines. Anyone else have tips?
paige! July 25th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Purslane! That’s one of my favorite greens. My favorite way to use it is to make a peppery lemon soup and then throw the purslane in at the end slightly before serving.
icarus July 25th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
Hey, EASY on the Italian parsley, ok? I put it atop pastas too, but you need to chop it more finely and use less. I’m just sayin’….
ravi July 25th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
ahh.. the vinegar is the secret ingredient.
mopar July 27th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Whoa, a peppery lemon soup. Sounds exotic! Is that like a Greek lemon soup or something else?
paige! July 27th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Yeah, it’s basically Avgolemono but without the eggs, and sometimes I add onions and fennel as well.
mopar July 28th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Sounds very tasty.
ricmac01 July 28th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Thank you, Paige for the pasta reminder. I hadn’t prepared pasta for weeks but your recipe/photo MADE me make up for lost time! And the leftovers on Sunday were even better.
adam August 3rd, 2008 at 6:45 pm
That sauce was hotter than the Jenkins!
Mjay October 24th, 2009 at 10:56 pm
there should be NO greens anywhere near a penne! I ate this dish almost everyday for months at my local trattoria when I went to school in Rome in the 70s.
Also! please! you must removed the pepper from the oil before the tomatoes go in and a real penne does not have onions. The whole simplistic of it, garlic and pepper flavored oil, a thick long cooked sauce that sticks to the pasta, is the whole deal. Use whole dry italian peppers (hard to find) crack one per person open, take OUT the seeds and use ONLY the shell. Just needs to be in the oil for 3-4 to flavor it. Don’t touch your eyes for gods sake, wash em.
Cook the sauce until almost dry. It gets nice and sticky and is heaven!
Mjay October 24th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
ps this should be properly served on penne lische: penne without “righe”: smooth penne not ridged ones.
Very difficult to find now….and of course! NO parm please! heresy