Cooking abroad: Penne all’arrabbiata

This week, I’m going to cook some penne all’arrabbiata.

This is a spicy dish, as shown by the name itself since “arrabbiata” means angry. “Arrabbiata” sauce should be made with pecorino cheese, but, due to lack of availability, we are going to use another cheese. If you can’t find pecorino cheese, look for another hard sheep’s cheese with a strong flavour.

Ingredients

400g peeled tomatoes;

100ml red wine;

4 large chilli peppers or 8 small chilli peppers;

4 garlic cloves;

1 onion;

200g parmesan cheese;

450g penne;

150g pecorino;

Fresh parsley;

Oregano;

Black pepper;

Olive oil;

Salt.

Cooking

First, crush the tomatoes and put them in a pan at a low heat. Leave them to simmer for fifteen minutes, while occasionally stirring. While the tomatoes are simmering, chop the garlic, onion and chilies, and grate the pecorino cheese.

Now, add to the sauce the chopped onion, chillies and garlic, the pecorino cheese, and some oregano, black pepper, olive oil and salt. Leave the sauce to simmer for another fifteen minutes, all the while occasionally stirring, and afterwards add the red wine and leave to simmer for twenty minutes, all the while occasionally stirring. After you add the red wine you need to make sure to prepare the pasta as well so that it’s ready at the same time as the sauce.

After all of this the sauce should be ready. Mix the sauce with the pasta and, after platting it, add some parsley on top and also grate some parmesan on the top.

Tomás Ramalhete