Penne all’Arrabiata della California

I used to love ordering Create Your Own Pasta with penne pasta and arrabiata sauce from Macaroni Grill so I’ve thought of making my own for a while now.

It’s all about hand-squeezed tomatoes, caramelized onions, and plenty of garlic, basil, and the star of the show: crushed red pepper simmering away.

Amazing!

Served with S&P Pan-seared Shrimp and an Italian Salad.

#SpiceOfLife #KitchenExperiments #PastaYum

Penne all’Arrabiata della California Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 lb uncooked penne rigate
• 56 oz whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 medium yellow onion, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 6 tsp minced garlic
• 2 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/16 tsp + 2 tsp sea salt + 1/4 tsp (divided)

Directions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat on stovetop.
2. Add EVOO and heat.
3. Add minced 1 medium yellow onion and 1/16 tsp sea salt, then saute up to 10 mins, until translucent – a little caramelizing is great!
4. While onions are cooking, in a large bowl: hand crush the tomatoes, leaving some small chunks, then set aside.
5. When onions are done cooking, add 6 tsp minced garlic, 2 1/2 tsp dried basil, and 2 tsp crushed red pepper, then saute for 30 secs.
6. Add crushed tomatoes to onion mixture, then bring to a simmer (it typically just starts popping rather than bubbling.
7. Reduce heat to low then add 1 bay leaf.
8. Partially cover skillet and simmer for 1 hr, stirring frequently.
9. About 20 mins before sauce is done simmering, fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil. Add 2 teaspoon sea salt (trust me, you want the pasta water salty!) then cook the penne rigate until al dente, according to package directions.
10. When penne rigate is done, drain and set aside.
11. When sauce is done simmering, remove from heat and stir in remaining 1/4 tsp sea salt. We are not a high salt preference family so feel free to add more if you’d like.
12. Add drained penne to sauce and stir gently until well coated.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories	896
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7.5g	10%
Saturated Fat 0.6g	3%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 1008mg	44%
Total Carbohydrate 179.2g	65%
Dietary Fiber 14.5g	52%
Total Sugars 27.9g
Protein 30.6g
Vitamin D 0mcg	0%
Calcium 233mg	18%
Iron 13mg	75%
Potassium 1360mg	29%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.

#LactoVeg #LactoOvoVeg #LowFat #OvoVege #Vegan