Spicy Arrabiata Penne.  Doesn’t it look totally delish?  This spicy pasta recipe from Valerie’s Home Cooking: More than 100 Delicious Recipes to Share with Friends and Family is a simple yet flavorful dish that’s perfect for weeknight meals as well as for entertaining.

What is Arrabiata?

If you are an angry Italian, then you know just what that word means, but what it really refers to is to the spiciness of red chili peppers.  Valerie’s recipe contains 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper (hence the arrabiata) – just enough to give it a little kick.  If you have an aversion to spicy foods, cut it in half to 1/4 teaspoon.  If you love spicy foods, add more at your own risk.

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Spicy Arrabiata Penne

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

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Ingredients

• 16 ounces uncooked penne rigate
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 26.46 – ounce package chopped tomatoes (such as Pomi)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
• Shaved fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for garnish

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook according to the package; drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add the garlic; cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, and cook 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the ¼ cup chopped basil.
3. Stir the cooked pasta and reserved pasta water into the tomato mixture. Garnish with the Parmigiano-Reggiano and additional basil, if desired, and serve warm.

Notes

Recipe excerpted from Valerie's Home Cooking, copyright 2017. Reprinted with permission.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 344Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 563mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 5gSugar: 6gProtein: 9g

Nutrition information is an approximation.

About Valerie’s Home Cooking: More than 100 Delicious Recipes to Share with Friends and Family

Valerie’s Home Cooking is a beautiful, full-color book by actress and Foodnetwork star Valerie Bertinelli.  There are more than 100 recipes, each with a story.  The chapters are simply divided into the following sections:

1. Rise & Shine
2. Getting Through the Day
3. Happy Hour
4. Around the Table
5. A Side Note
6. Finishing Sweet

Valerie’s recipes are easy to replicate at home and are suitable for sharing with friends and family.  Flipping through the pages, you will be enticed by mouth-watering photographs that are included with each recipe.

White Bread (page 214)

Valerie’s Recipes

Valerie takes on classic recipes and adds her spin, such as Dutch Baby with Lemon Curd and Tuna Noodle Casserole with Potato Chip Topping.  She includes several dessert recipes for those who have a sweet tooth – be sure to check out her Chocolate Peppermint Ice-Cream Sandwiches and Neapolitan Tacos.  If your goal is to eat more plant-based foods, then her recipes for Roasted Radishes, Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms with Chile-Lemon Salt, and Vegetarian Minestrone will be right down your alley.

Spicy Arrabiata Penne (page 167)

Look for  Valerie’s Home Cooking: More than 100 Delicious Recipes to Share with Friends and Family at your local bookstore or at Amazon.com.

Looking for more spicy deliciousness?  Check out my jambalaya recipe.  You’re welcome.