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Pasta with 'angry' sauce a spicy meal | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper
Posted on: Wednesday, February 20, 2008

TASTE
 Pasta with 'angry' sauce a spicy meal

 •  Sourdough ... for starters

By Linda Gassenheimer
McClatchy-Tribune News Service

WHERE’S WANDA?

Food editor Wanda Adams was traveling last week. Her column will return next week.

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Penne with arrabbiata gets its inspiration from Rome. In Italian, arrabbiata means "angry," a perfect name for this lively, spicy hot sauce.

Crushed red pepper flakes create the heat. It can be found in the spice section of the supermarket. Beware if you're not sure how much heat your family or guests can handle: Place the crushed red pepper on the table for those who want more than the recipe recommends.

Penne are straight, short tubes of pasta that are cut on the diagonal. The pasta and sauce are topped with pecorino Romano cheese. Made from sheep's milk, pecorino Romano has a hard yellow rind and a lighter color interior. It has a sharper flavor than Parmesan. If difficult to find, use Parmesan cheese.

Some tips:

  • Serve the penne with an Italian salad made with arugula, radicchio and romaine lettuce.

  • A quick way to chop basil is to wash, dry and snip the leaves right off the stem with a scissors.

  • Any short pasta such as macaroni can be used.

  • If pressed for time, buy prewashed Italian-style salad and a low-fat dressing. Add quartered tomatoes for color.

    PENNE WITH ARRABBIATA SAUCE

  • 1/2 pound penne pasta

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil

  • 1/2 medium onion, sliced (1 cup)

  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed

  • 6 ounces lean or low-fat ham, cut in 1-inch cubes (3 cups)

  • 2 cups canned peeled plum tomatoes (including juice)

  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

  • 2 teaspoons sugar

  • 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves

  • Salt

  • 2 tablespoons grated pecorino Romano cheese

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare sauce ingredients (slice, cube, etc.). When water boils, add pasta and cook 10 minutes.

    Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium-size nonstick skillet over medium heat.

    Saute onions 3 minutes. Add garlic and ham and saute 2 minutes. Add plum tomatoes with their juice and crushed red pepper. Cut tomatoes in half with the edge of a cooking spoon. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in sugar and basil. Add salt to taste. Drain pasta and toss with sauce. Sprinkle cheese on top.

    Makes 2 servings.

  • Per serving: 515 calories, 40 g protein, 63 g carbohydrate, 10.2 g fat, 18 percent of calories as fat, 4.5 g fiber, 95 mg cholesterol, 1,817 mg sodium

    For an Italian salad, toss together a bowl of washed and dried radiccio, romaine and arugula or other greens. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

  • Per serving (half a head of greens each, plus half the dressing): 63 calories, 1.4 g proteins, 4.1 g carbohydrate, 4.9 g fat, 70 percent of calories as fat, 0.6 g fiber, no cholesterol, 12 mg sodium
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