Penne Arrabiata

SPICY, PASTA, SAUCE…..  Three words that are like music to my ears.  Those who know me well know that I adore spicy food.  The sensation of heat as you take a bite is just exhilarating.  Hence this recipe for Penne Arrabiata.

I adapted this recipe from a sauce that my brother in law makes, every time we visit this is our go to request for him to cook.  Now you are probably thinking I have never heard of using black olives in a pasta sauce but let me tell you they add a hint of salt and texture to the sauce that is divine.  My sister grows her own peppers and dries them every fall.  Ohhh… the excitement I have when I receive that package!  If you can find dried whole peppers such as the ones pictured below I highly recommend using them.  Otherwise crushed red peppers are a fine substitute.

The spice of the peppers, saltiness of the black olives and fruitiness of the wine make this a dish so amazing you will want to make another batch immediately!  So curl up by the fire with this dish and some fresh garlic bread to soak up all of that extra saucy goodness and enjoy.

Penne Arrabiata Ingredients:

• 1lb Penne Pasta
• 24oz can of Tomato Sauce
• 1 can Tomato Paste
• 1 can Jumbo Black Olives (roughly chopped)
• 1tsp Crushed Red Peppers (I use 2-3 dried hot peppers)
• 1T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Cloves Garlic minced
• 1/2tsp Dried Basil
• 1/4tsp Sugar
• Splash of dry red wine such as Chianti
• Fresh Parmesan cheese (grated)

Directions:

In a large saucepot heat olive oil and add garlic.  Cook until fragrant about 1-2 min.  Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste, stir until smooth.  Add the dried basil and crushed red pepper.  Simmer for 30 minutes.

Roughly chop up the black olives and add to the sauce.  Add the sugar and splash of red wine and simmer for another 20 min.

Cook pasta according to the package.

Serve sauce over pasta and grate the fresh parmesan over the top.