Angry Pasta

I feel cheated by the fascists over at Dahl Spice.  "Recipes from the Dahl Women."  Now why would they assume that the only recipes worth posting are those from the women?  While they've been fixated on strawberry pudding, strawberry salad, strawberry soup and strawberry power sharing schemes that don't involve the men, I've been whipping up some darn good grub.

I present Pasta all'Arrabbiata as my protest entry.  The term arrabbiata means "angry" in Italian.  This is pasta in the angry style.

There's really nothing sinister about it, though.  Arrabbiata sauce is angry because it traditionally includes simmered red chili peppers.  Some recipes call for chili flakes like the ones you find in pizzerias.  I like it with chilies, but I find yellow pepperoncini burn with a milder intensity while still infusing the sauce with a good flavor.  If my kids can handle it, so can you.

Here is what you need to gather:

• 1 lb of chopped tomatoes.  I prefer to use roma tomotoes.  Select something fresh and ripe.  If you like, you can substitute diced tomatoes from a can, but I'd recommend letting them drain in a colander for a few minutes before you use them.
• 4 or 5 pepperoncini.  Discard the stems and seeds.  Slice them in thin cross sections.  Be careful if you bought them packed in water.  The water on the inside has a tendency to spray in response to the first cut. 
• 2 or 3 garlic cloves sliced.  Fresh garlic tastes better, but I keep a jar of minced garlic in the refrigerator because it's easier.  If you're like me, use 1 or 2 tablespoons of minced garlic in place of the fresh cloves. 
• 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil.
• 6 fresh basil leaves.  A few tablespoons of dried basil will work also, but it has less flavor and seems to change the texture of the sauce somewhat.
• 1 lb of pasta.  Penne pasta works the best.  The ridged tubes do a good job of holding the sauce.  Any pasta will do, however.  I typically use spaghetti because that is what I have on hand. 

Once you have your ingredients gathered and prepared...

1. In a frying pan, sauté and stir the peppers in olive oil over medium heat for a minute or two.
2. Add the garlic and stir another few seconds.  This is Braeden's favor step because the smells really start to blend.
3. Add the tomatoes.
4. Tear up half of the basil leaves and add them as well.
5. Let the mixture simmer on medium to medium-low heat.  Leave the pan uncovered.
6. After about 10 minutes, coarsely mash the tomatoes.
7. Let the mixture simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes as it becomes more paste like.
8. Tear and add the rest of the basil when the sauce is done.
9. Toss the sauce with your cooked pasta.
10. If you prefer, top the dish with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.

There are variations on the above that different people prefer.  The first time I had penne all'arrabbiata it included clams and red chilies.  I ordered it from room service when I was working late one night at a hotel in London.  I liked it so much I ordered it again the next night.  It's become something of a staple on my trips now.

After one trip I decided to try and make it for my family from what we had on hand.  I didn't have clams or red chilies.  I used large shrimp instead of clams.  The pepperoncini stood in for the red chilies' heat, but I also added sweet red peppers for the visual effect.

The sweet red pepper or red bell pepper can be added at the same time as the pepperoncini in the recipe above.  The shrimp (or clams) should be added at the very end.  Let them stew just long enough to cook, for raw shrimp, or heat through, for cooked shrimp.  

Frozen shrimp have a tendency to add undesired water to the sauce.  You'll get better results if you thaw and dry the shrimp first.  I run the frozen shrimp under warm water in a colander until they are thawed.  Then I either pat them dry with a towel or pull the water away with a salad spinner.

If you want to use clams, you can dump in drained clam meat at the end.  I prefer to use steamed clams that are still in the shell.