Description
Spicy rigatoni arrabbiata delivers Italian passion on a plate, bringing robust tomato heat and hearty pasta together. Rich garlic, red pepper flakes, and fresh basil create a fiery symphony that will transport your palate straight to Rome’s bustling kitchens.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Pasta Ingredients:
- 1 pound (454 grams) rigatoni
- 1 (28 ounces/794 grams) can San Marzano tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
Aromatic Ingredients:
- 1 sweet onion, chopped
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh basil, julienned
- Salt and pepper to taste
Finishing Ingredient:
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Prepare a generously salted water bath in a large pot, bringing it to a vigorous boil for the rigatoni. Submerge pasta and cook until perfectly tender yet firm, preserving a half cup of starchy liquid before draining.
- Warm olive oil in a spacious skillet over moderate heat. Introduce finely diced onions, allowing them to soften and become translucent while releasing their delicate aromatics. Incorporate minced garlic, stirring vigilantly to prevent scorching and release its pungent essence.
- Pour San Marzano tomatoes into the fragrant base, supplementing with concentrated tomato paste. Sprinkle crushed red pepper flakes and fennel seeds to infuse robust, spicy undertones. Reduce heat and let the sauce gently simmer, developing deep, complex flavors while occasionally stirring to prevent adherence to the pan.
- Fold julienned basil into the simmering sauce, calibrating seasoning with judicious pinches of salt and pepper. This step harmonizes the sauce’s profile, creating a balanced flavor landscape.
- Introduce cooked rigatoni directly into the sauce, utilizing reserved pasta water to create a silky, cohesive coating. Toss thoroughly, ensuring each pasta tube is lavishly dressed in the vibrant, spicy sauce.
- Transfer to awaiting plates, crowning the dish with delicate shavings of Parmesan cheese and additional fresh basil leaves, offering a final flourish of herbal brightness and textural contrast.
Notes
- Fiery sauce transforms ordinary pasta into a culinary adventure with bold, spicy flavors that dance on your taste buds.
- Fennel seeds and crushed red pepper flakes create a secret weapon of depth, giving this classic dish an unexpected Mediterranean twist.
- Saving pasta water becomes your kitchen magic trick, helping sauce cling perfectly to each rigatoni tube and ensuring silky, restaurant-quality results.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 66 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg