Arrabbiata means angry in Italian. So that means this dish has some spice, uh oh. No spicy peppers for me, please! I ended up making two versions of the sauce, one without the pepper for me, and one with the pepper for Chris. Also, back again with the arugula. I didn’t like it in the last dish, but this time it’s cooked so I had to see if that made a difference. Cooking the arugula into the sauce and mixing it with everything in the bowl, made it hardly noticeable at all. If you’re not a huge fan of greens, like me, it’s a great way to sneak in some veggies.
Ingredients:
6oz penne
1 red onion
2oz pancetta
1 chili pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 small can diced tomatoes
1 roma tomato
2oz arugula
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp sugar
Directions:
1. Prep the veggies. Halve, peel, and dice the onion. Mince the garlic. Core, seed, and dice the tomato. Mince the chili pepper. *Be sure to wash hands, cutting board, and knife after the chili pepper*
2.Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne to the water and cook for 9-11 minutes until al dente. Drain.
3. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan ove medium heat. Add the panchetta and cook for 2-3 minutes, until slightly crispy. Add the onion and as much chili pepper as you like. Cook, tossing for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, until fragrant. Season with salt and pepper as necessary.
4. Add the roma tomato, the diced tomatoes, and sugar to the pan. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes until thickened.
5. Add the drained penne and the arugula to the sauce and toss for 1-2 minutes.
6. Portion into a bowl or onto a plate, and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. Enjoy!