Penne Arrabbiata
Ingredients
- 1 X 16 Oz Can Crushed tomatoes (Whether they are in purée or juice, anything will do. You can use diced tomatoes too if you like, though crushed give just the right texture.)
- 1 X 6 Oz Can Tomato paste
- 1 Cup Chicken stock
- 1/3 Cup Dry red wine (How about some Zinfandel?)
- 1/2 Cup Minced white onion
- 2 Garlic cloves – peeled and grated
- 2 tbsp Chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp Shredded basil leaves
- 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tbsp red chilli flakes (This is moderately hot. Add more for a more heated sauce. It all depends on your preference.)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (The sauce is not supposed to be oily at all.)
- A full pinch of sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
To Serve
- Boiled penne pasta (Rule of serving pasta is that you serve 100g per person.) Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
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Heat a saucepan and pour in the olive oil. Allow the oil to warm up for a few seconds and add the onion and garlic. Now cook on low heat, frequently stirring, until the onion is just starting to brown. It’s the sweetness of the onion that will balance out the fresh acidity of the tomatoes.
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Then add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, stirring continuously. Add the Italian seasoning and mix well.
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Pour in the wine, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and chicken stock. Give it a good stir and increase the heat to high, bringing the sauce in the making to a boil.
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Once the contents of the pan start bubbling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. It is this slow cooking that will develop a depth of flavour in the tomatoes.
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Add the red chilli flakes and sugar. Stir and continue simmering for another 5 minutes.
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Finally, add the fresh basil. Check the sauce for seasoning once before adding any salt and pepper. This is because canned tomatoes contain salt. Remember if you are using chicken stock made from a stock cube, or out of a tetra pack, those include salt too. Similarly, we have added crushed red chilli, and you may not want any heat from the black pepper.
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Sprinkle parsley and serve with the boiled pasta, topped with some Parmesan cheese.
