Pasta Arrabbiata

Let's cook

1. 1

   Infuse the oil gently

   Put the oil, sliced garlic, and chilli flakes in a cold pan and bring them up to medium heat together. Cook 4 minutes until the garlic is pale gold.

   💡

   Starting cold draws the flavour out slowly. Garlic dropped into hot oil burns in seconds and turns the whole sauce bitter.

2. 2

   Crush the tomatoes by hand

   Squeeze the tomatoes between your fingers into the pan rather than blending them. Hand-crushed gives a rustic texture that clings to the pasta.

3. 3

   Simmer down

   Add salt and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce darkens and the oil separates out at the edges.

   💡

   The oil rising to the surface is the sign the sauce is properly reduced.

4. 4

   Undercook the pasta

   Boil the penne 2 minutes short of the packet time and reserve a cup of the water.

5. 5

   Finish in the pan

   Add the drained pasta to the sauce with a splash of pasta water and toss hard over the heat for 90 seconds, so the pasta finishes cooking in the sauce and absorbs it.

6. 6

   Serve

   Off the heat, add the parsley and a final drizzle of raw olive oil.

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