Recipes

When I was backpacking in the mountains of... just kidding. Nothing but recipes here

• Arrabbiata - Arrabbiata is named after Italian word for "angry" (arrabbiato). It is a spicy, tomato-based pasta dish. It's also vegan (until you add parmesan).

Arrabbiata

Arrabbiata is named after Italian word for "angry" (arrabbiato). It is a spicy, tomato-based pasta dish. It's also vegan (until you add parmesan).

Ingredients

• Olive oil - 3 tablespoons
• Chilli flakes - 3-5 teaspoons
• Smoked paprika - 2 teaspoons
• Onion (diced) - 1 large / 2 regular
• Garlic (crushed or sliced) - 8+ cloves
• Tinned tomatoes - 2 tins
• Basil - 2 tablespoons
• Salt - 1 teaspoon (+ a pinch for pasta)
• Pepper - half a teaspoon
• Brown sugar - 1 tablespoon
• Black olives - 1 jar (~170g drained/pitted)
• Pasta - 320g (dry)

Notes

• This should make 4 servings of ~400g.
• Depending on how spicy you like your food, you will want to adjust the amount of chilli flakes. I wouldn't go less than 3 teaspoons or more than 5.
• Tinned tomatoes can be whole or chopped, as they get mashed anyway.
• If you use fresh diced basil you won't need as much.
• Similarly you can cut a jar of whole olives in half to give them a bigger flavour hit, but sliced olives are nice time-saver.
• I prefer penne pasta for this, but rigatonni and fusilli/rotini work well too.

Instructions

1. 

   It's a good idea to prep the earlier ingredients before turning on the heat, as you will be sautéing them in quick succession.

   Measure out the chilli flakes and paprika together. Dice the onion. Crush/slice the garlic. When you're ready to go, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a deep pan.

   
   
2. 

   When the oil is hot, add the 3-5 teaspoons of chilli flakes and 2 teaspoons of paprika and sauté for 2 minutes.

   You may also want to start heating a large pan of water for the pasta. Don't forget to add big pinch of salt.

   
   
3. 

   Add the diced onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until browned.

   
   
4. 

   Add the 8 cloves of crushed or sliced garlic and sauté for a further 2 minutes

   
   
5. 

   Add the 2 tins of tomatoes and stir well for about a minute.

   
   
6. 

   Now you want to mash up any large chunks to make a smoother sauces. The fastest way is to use potato masher.

   
   
7. 

   Once smooth, drop the heat to a simmer and leave for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

   Now is a good time to add the pasta to a boiling pan and do any more prepping (e.g. slicing olives, measuring remaining ingredients)

   
   
8. 

   Add 2 tablespoons of basil, 1 teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of pepper & 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and stir well.

   
   
9. 

   Add sliced/halved black olives, stir well and simmer for 5 minutes.

   The pasta will probably be ready around now, so drain it, while you wait for the sauce.

   
   
10. 

    Empty the sauce into the pan of pasta and mix well.

    
    
11. 

    It's now ready to eat. Serve up to 4 bowls. Alternatively box it up, refrigerate, and eat within 5 days.