Spaghetti in Arabiata Sauce is a spicy pasta dish made with sauce using dried red chilies. It is a delicious combination with a bread of your choice.
As mentioned in Eggless Tiramisu post, my Anniversary Menu was Italian and this post is a continuation of that menu. Spaghetti in Arabiata sauce is both V & my favorite. We never give up a chance to hog on it.
So when I chanced upon DK’s recipe in Chefinyou for Penne all’arabiata, I couldn’t resist trying her version. But again as I’ve mentioned in my introduction, I can not stick to a recipe to the T, so I made some changes in it. Instead of Penne, I used Macaroni & Spaghetti as I had left overs from both in my pantry and I wanted to use them up. I divided the sauce in 2 portions & made macaroni & spaghetti in Arabiata Sauce. I also skipped garlic & parsley.
The verdict, this rocks baby! – straight from horse’s mouth :)
This super hot dish complimented our relationship and celebration. I would like to end the last dish made for anniversary with lyrics of Fairytale by Alexander Rybak–
Every day we started fighting, everyday we fell in love,
No one else could make me sadder, but no one else could lift me high above…
I Love You V!
Spaghetti in Arabiata Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup pasta
- 150 gram spaghetti
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1½ onion finely chopped
- 2 red chilies seeded and sliced thinly
- 10 ripe tomatoes finely chopped
- to taste salt, pepper & seasoning
- few parmesan shavings
- water for boiling pasta
- salt & oil for boiling pasta
Instructions
for cooking pasta
- Heat water in a pan (big vessel). The water should be enough to completely cover the pasta when dipped. Add 1 tsp salt to it.
- Add 1 tsp of olive oil to water to keep the pasts from sticking together.
- Once the water starts boiling, slowly add pasta, so that boiling doesn’t stop. (I boiled both macaroni & spaghetti separately).
- Boil & stir gently to keep the pieces from sticking to the pan & to each other.
- Cook to the ‘al dente’ stage or a little short of it if it is to be held. To test, press a piece against the side of the pan with a fork. It should need quite a firm pressure to break the pasta.
- Drain & rinse thoroughly with cold water until the rinsed water runs clear.
- Coat lightly with oil or butter to prevent sticking.
- To reheat pasta place in a strainer & submerge in hot water or saute in a little fat.
for the sauce
- Heat oil in a pan, fry the onions along with chilies. If you are using dry chilies, very lightly crush them & split them in the center as it allows the flavor to be released in the oil. I fry chilies first & quickly remove them once they start sputtering and keep aside using a small straining spoon as leaving them in the oil makes them black & unappealing.
- Once onions are fried, add tomatoes and just a pinch of sugar. Sugar is added to neutralize the acid in tomato. Heat on high flame.
- When tomatoes break down & start to ooze liquid, add whole chilies in them so they will release their flavor while cooking. Allow to cook on low flame for another 5-8 mins. Keep stirring in between if required. It should attain a saucy consistency. If thick, then add little of pasta water to get the right consistency.
- Once done, divide the sauce in 2 parts – to one part, add macroni, salt, pepper & oregano and to the 2nd part add spaghetti, salt, pepper & oregano.
- Garnish with parsley & parmesan. Serve hot with bread.
