In the Cucina #6

Every day just before the lunch service, we, in the restaurant, eat. Today Chef Paolo made the tradtional Rome dish Penne Arrabiata (Angry pasta with penne).  He says it's easy, fast and cheap. As a rule, Arrabiata is served with penne (quills) pasta, diagonally cut thin tubes.  I ask, why penne? Paolo says because it's traditional. Carbonara and Cacio e Pepe goes with spaghetti, Amatriciana goes with bucatini, etc. It's kind of like peanut butter going with jelly. Although, really, he says, you can do whatever (kind of pasta) you want. 

Chef Paolo starts with oil -- lots of oil -- about 3/4 of a cup (maybe more).  Hey explains, "you must have a lot oil." I don't ask him why. 

He adds two whole cloves of garlic, fries them brown and removes them from the oil and throws them away. Then he grabs a fistful, literally, of red pepper flakes, and throws them in the oil and cooks them for a few minutes. I'm already thinking there is no way I can eat this -- it's going to be WAY too spicy. Then he ladles in 3 cups of tomato sauce, chopped parsley and salt. He tosses in 600 grams (about 1 1/3 pounds) of penne pasta that's been cooked to al dente (not a moment more). He starts tossing the pasta (with one hand, moving the large skillet up and down, backward and forward), and adds -- MORE OIL!

He divided this into six pasta bowls. I timidly tried a few penne, prepared to say "basta!" (enough!). To my delight, the pasta was absolutely delicious; the sauce fiery but absolutely tolerable.  I explained my apprehension and he replied offhandedly, "Why? You have pasta."

The lesson? The pasta neutralizes the heat of the pepper flakes. 

As with the risotto, Chef Paolo explained, "You have to learn the proper way to cook the pasta. It's not just for consistency, but for taste," he said. "Over cooking pasta changes the taste of the pasta too much. It becomes plain, 'senza gusto' (tasteless). When you cook it too much, you can't taste the flavor of the pasta." I can't argue. 

NOTE: Like all good chefs, Paolo removes the green center of the garlic before using it. In Italian it's called the "anima" or soul of the garlic. Love it!

Here is Chef Paolo's Penne all' Arrabiata:

Penne all' Arrabiata

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, cut in half lengthwise

1/3 cup hot red pepper flakes (or more)

3 cups prepared tomato sauce (see earlier recipe)

1 cup chopped parsley

Salt to taste

1 1/3 pound penne pasta, cooked al dente in salted boiling water. Drain but do not rinse. 

Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the garlic and cook until well browned. Remove garlic and discard. Add the pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil, stirring frequently, reduce heat to medium-high and add parsley. Cook for one minute more, adding about a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil. Add the pasta and toss well, adding salt to taste. Makes 6 servings.