Sometimes, when looking for inspiration for my blog I end up buying more than I intend to and convince myself that I will save one grocery store trip.  Does that ever happen with you? But this time I would like to thank this habit of mine as I was craving for a pasta and guess what I had this pack of Penne pasta which I bought few weeks  ago sitting idle on the shelf , calling my name!

I wanted to make something simple, easy and delicious with it! Three words I like to hear when I am about to cook, so grabbed this opportunity to make” Pasta Arrabiata” or “Penne all’Arrabbiata”.

“Arrabiata” literally means “angry” in Italian and the red chilli flakes added in the pasta aptly reflect that.  The secret to making this sauce perfect is good quality tomato puree.The sweet and spicy combination which comes from tomatoes and crushed red chilies, along with the flavour of oregano just makes it perfect in every bite.

I have also made a pesto version of penne pasta. You can Click Here to check that out too!

You might find fewer pictures this time, that is only because we all were very hungry and couldn’t wait to dig in!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Served: Hot

Ingredients

 1 Tbsp Cooking Oil / Olive Oil
 ½ cup Onions or 2 medium sized Onions
 1 tsp Green Chilies
 2 tsp Garlic
 ½ cup Tomatoes or 2 medium sized Tomatoes (Chopped)
 1 and ½  Cup Tomato Puree
 1 and ½ tsp Chili flakes (or according to taste  preferences)
 1 tbsp fresh basil (Can be substituted for coriander/parsley)
 1Tbsp dried Oregano
 ½ tsp Vinegar (optional)
 Salt to taste
 2 cups pasta (of your choice) cooked ; Recipe uses Penne 
 
 Garnish:
 1 tsp red chilli flakes
 Good serving of Parmesan Cheese (I cannot give any measurement here, add how much your heart desires! ) ;) 
 Can be substituted for any processed Cheese

Method:

1. Cook your pasta as per packet instructions. I have used Penne pasta in this recipe.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add onions, garlic and green chilies. Sauté those until onions turn transparent.
3. Add tomato puree, chilli flakes, basil (or any other green herb, coriander, parsley etc will also work!), vinegar and salt. Skip vinegar if you do not want to make that extra grocery trip just for one ingredient. I already had some lying around so I have used it.  Mix everything well and cook for about 7-10 minutes. At this point, you can also add some veggies whichever you prefer in the sauce. Make sure you boil or steam your veggies before using them. Meat lovers can add any meat of their choice and make this dish protein- friendly.
   

   Tip: “Pasta Arrabiatta” is a recipe with quite a bit of spice. If you prefer something mild then limit the use of crushed red chilli flakes.

4. Add the cooked pasta and coat it evenly with the sauce. Remove the pan from the flame.
5. Garnish with some generous sprinkle of parmesan or processed cheese along with some red chilli flakes and serve hot!

Enjoy this mouth watering simple go to “Pasta Arrabiatta”  or “Penne all’Arrabbiata” with some soup and garlic bread on the side.