The arrival of December usually kicks off a frenzy where the shorter days only exacerbate the increasingly unmanageable to-do list. Between getting the house ‘winter ready’, holiday shopping, rushing to meet work’s year-end deadlines, attending myriad social gatherings and dealing with mother nature’s cold embrace, time spent in the kitchen is cut to a minimum.
It’s in December that I like to rely on trusted classics that are both simple and satisfying, and this Spaghetti All’Arrabiata belongs squarely in that category. After an intense snow shoveling workout (thanks to 20 inches accumulation in less than two days), the quick and spicy pasta dish was all I needed, and all I had the strength to concoct.
This recipe comes from Jamie Oliver who shared it in ‘My Last Supper‘ as the meal he would choose to be his last….so that says a lot about how good it is! The beauty of pasta all’arrabiata is in its uncomplicated nature which uses only a few basic ingredients you already have in your pantry: canned tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, onion, and dried chilies.
The name means “angry pasta” and refers to the heat from the chilies, although it’s totally up to you how ‘angry’ you want it to be! Canned tomatoes are also key to the sauce and have a deeper flavor than fresh ones. They develop such richness and depth when cooked down for a while, they only need a little splash of red wine vinegar to balance it all out.
Penne is the usual vehicle for this sauce but spaghetti has proven to be pretty amazing at absorbing all the spicy goodness. Whichever pasta you decide to use, all that really matters is the way you cook it. The magic really happens by adding the al dente pasta directly to the sauce pan to finish cooking altogether. This method will ensure the sauce really clings to the pasta instead of just sitting on top of it.
You could eat it right there and then (straight from the pan if you’re absolutely exhausted!) but the breadcrumb topping suggested here is truly easy and wonderful. It’s called ‘pangrattato‘ and comes from the old peasant days when only the rich could afford Parmesan cheese. The rest of the population came up with this alternative of frying up stale bread to give their pasta a similar richness without the cost – genius!
30 minutes to get something this flavorful on your plate is a winning card whether you’re time crunched on a week night, or just slightly inebriated from all these holiday parties. 😉
| Total Time: | 40 min |
| Cuisine: | Italian |
| Yield: | Serves 4-6 |
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti in the salted boiling water according to the packet instructions. Drain the pasta, reserving about ¼ cup of the cooking water.
3. Once the sauce has thickened, add the red wine vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. To make the pangrattato, heat the remaining oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and thyme, if desired, and fry until the bread crumbs are crispy, about 3 minutes.
5. Add the drained pasta and the reserved pasta water to the sauce, and toss to coat. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and serve with the pangrattato over the top. If you like, you can garnish with fried sage leaves.
2 dried red chilies or peperoncino, crumbled or finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 red onion, finely chopped
3 14-oz cans good plum tomatoes, sieved, or 3 ½ cups passata
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
18 oz spaghetti
1 tsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp stale bread crumbs
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped (optional)
Fried sage leaves (optional)
