Penne in a Rage
A delightful spicy tomato pasta dish that excites the taste buds with rich flavors and a kick of heat, perfect for those who enjoy spice.
Ingredients
Pasta Ingredients
- 400 g 400g penne or ziti, or other pasta of choice Short or long pasta works well.
- 1 tbsp 1 tbsp cooking / kosher salt For cooking pasta.
Sauce Ingredients
- 4 tbsp 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 red chili 1 red cayenne pepper chili, finely chopped (with seeds)
- 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp chili flakes (red pepper flakes)
- 800 g 800g canned crushed tomato
- 1 1/4 tsp 1 1/4 tsp cooking / kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp white sugar Only if needed.
- Parmesan, finely grated For serving.
- 2 tsp 2 tsp finely chopped parsley, optional For garnish.
Instructions
Preparation
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and stir for 10 seconds.
- Add cayenne and chili flakes. Cook for 1 minute, or until garlic is light golden.
- Add crushed tomato, salt, and pepper. Rinse out the tomato cans with a bit of water and add this to the pot.
Simmering
- Turn the heat to high, stir, then once it starts to simmer, turn it down to medium and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
- Taste at 10 minutes; if it’s too sour, add sugar.
Cooking Pasta
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil with the 1 tablespoon of salt. Add pasta and cook according to the packet's instructions.
- Just before draining, stir the pot well and scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water and set it aside. Then, drain the pasta.
Combining
- Add the pasta into the sauce along with 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water.
- Toss well on the stove until the pasta is coated. Use more pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
Serving
- Divide into bowls and serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan and parsley, if using.
Notes
Serve Penne in a Rage hot, straight from the stove. It pairs well with a simple salad or some crusty bread. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for about 3 days.