If I could choose one simple pasta recipe that you should absolutely try and put as part of your everyday repertoire it is spaghetti al arrabbiata. Start off by cooking up your spaghetti in a large cooking pot, mix that through so it gets nicely coated in the water. Your water should be heavily salted, while that is cooking, prepare your sauce so get your pan on a slow and low heat. Take two large garlic cloves and finely slice it, add olive oil to your pan then, you are using olive oil instead of regular oil because olive oil has a really good strong flavor, the garlic goes in there then let that sizzle and get to a point where the garlic is just a bit turning light and golden brown. While that’s cooking, blitz up your tomatoes, to your whole plum tomatoes, add a tablespoon of tomato puree and that will help to intensify the tomato flavor.

Pour that into a food processor then blitz that up to get a super smooth and silky tomato sauce. Ince that is ready to go, set that aside and turning to your garlic that at this point is almost ready, to that add a little pinch of red chili flakes. Once you have your oil flavored, pour your tomato puree and stir to combine that with oil and let that cook for about 8 to 10 minutes just for those flavors to thicken. At this point, you can taste and feel if your seasoning is how you want it to be, add more salt or pepper if you like. For your pasta, it can be easily undercooked or overcooked, so add water to your large pan, season your water then add olive oil in, that stops the pasta from sticking together then bring that to a boil. The pasta takes three to four minutes so in the pan, use tongs to turn that around until it starts to soften.

To test if your pasta is ready, lift a little strand and you actually feel it with your fingers, let it be nice and soft but not crunchy. Drain the pasta then season with salt and pepper with a tablespoon of olive oil Mix that through then grab your pasta and transfer it to the hot sauce, give that all a good toss for a few minutes then you are ready to serve. All you have to do is stick it straight into your plate then you can add the last touch of pecorino just over the top. Give it a swirl with your fork and have a taste of your pasta all’ Arrabbiata.

Ingredients;

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp dried red chili flakes
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 x 400g tins plum tomatoes
  • 200g spaghetti
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    25g parmesan or pecorino, grated

Instructions;

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, add the garlic and cook until just turning golden brown.
  2. Add the chili flakes and cook for a minute. Add the tomato puree and cook for another 2 minutes.
  3. Blitz the tomatoes in a food processor with the tomato puree and then add to the pan.
  4. Bring to the boil and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
  5. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water for 11 minutes or until al dente.
  6. Transfer into the sauce and toss with the extra virgin olive oil.
    Season to taste.
  7. Serve with grated parmesan or pecorino on top.