Pasta with Arrabiata-ish Sauce
I have spent enough time in Italy to know that dishes are very regional. For example, Bolognese sauce is ONLY available in Bologna. If you make a very similar sauce, up the road in Modena, it is called ragu. (If you missed it you can check out my stories about our time in Bologna, Modena, Cooking in Modena and Rimini).
I did not want to be accused of not making an authentic Arrabiata sauce, therefore it is in the spirit of Arrabiata, I call this Arrabiata-ish sauce. What makes it different than your typical red sauce, aka marinara? This sauce is a bit spicier with a lot of garlic and red pepper flakes.
Parmesan rinds are a great way to add another dimension to a sauce or broth. Whenever I see them wrapped up for sale in my cheese section I grab them and stick them in the freezer. I added two to this sauce. Don’t have a rind? No problem, you can skip it and still have a wonderful dish.
I was craving some red sauce, but decided I wanted to use the Parmesan rinds and it snowballed into adding fresh cherry tomatoes, fennel. Pulling the ingredients out of the cabinet and fridge, I decided to lean into the spicy Arrabiata world.
It starts with a lot, I mean a LOT, of oil and garlic. Trust me, it isn’t over powerful. Slowly cooking the garlic in the oil mellows it out. It is a simple dish that takes less than an hour from start to finish.
I hope you enjoy this dish. I encourage you to explore and make dishes your own with the method listed below. You can add or eliminate anything you like. Be true to your tastes and you can’t loose.
With grace, grit & gratitude,
xx, JeriLynne
Pasta with Arrabiata-ish Sauce
A simple, spicy fresh pasta sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup good quality olive oil
- 1/2 cup peeled garlic cloves, whole
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 -28 ounce can whole, peeled tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1-2 Parmesan rind
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, julienned
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound of your favorite pasta
Instructions
In a large heavy duty saucepan or dutch oven, pour the olive oil. Turn to medium high heat and add the garlic. Be sure to watch that garlic doesn’t start to burn. Cook for 10-12 minutes, until garlic has softened and is starting to get toasty brown.
Remove the garlic from the oil. Put to the side. Add the cherry tomatoes, the canned tomatoes, fennel seed, red pepper flakes, red wine, parmesan rinds, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Turn the heat to medium high. In the meantime, take the side of your knife and on a cutting board, smoosh and chop the garlic with a teaspoon of salt. Add the garlic paste to the sauce. Once the sauce starts to boil, turn the heat to simmer. Continue to cook for 30 minutes as you start the pasta water.
Cook the pasta according to the directions. Be sure to salt the water. With a minute left, remove the parmesan rinds from the sauce and add the basil. If you would like the sauce a little thinner, add a bit of pasta water.
Drain the pasta, add to the sauce. You can add more freshly grated Parmesan and torn basil on top with a drizzle of olive oil.
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