Updated on Cooking

Pasta Arrabiata

Pasta arrabiata combines pasta with bacon, fiery red pepper flakes, and fresh basil. The spicy sauce tastes great when it’s topped with Parmesan and served with salad and bread. What’s the best part? This delicious dinner can be on the table within 30 minutes.

Pasta Arrabiata…it is one of BeeBop’s favorites. What could possibly be wrong with a recipe which starts by frying some bacon?

Ingredients

  • 4 slices of bacon
  • 1/2 large onion roughly sliced
  • Crushed and chopped 2 cloves of garlic
  • 29 ounces can diced tomatoes in Juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons of fresh basil, cut into chiffonade
  • 1/2 pound pasta short cut penne, ziti, corkscrews

Instructions

  1. Follow the instructions on the packaging to cook the pasta.
  2. As the pasta cooks, cut the bacon into pieces of about 1/4″.
  3. In a large deep frying pot, cook the bacon over medium heat for a few minutes until it is brown and not too crispy.
  4. Drain all the bacon drippings except for about 1 tablespoon.
  5. Save the bacon for another time.
  6. Sauté the onions and garlic for a couple of minutes in the bacon drippings until the onion has wilted.
  7. Add the tomatoes.
  8. Cook 10 to 15 mins until sauce has reduced, but tomatoes are still chunky. Add some of the pasta water if the sauce becomes too thick.
  9. Add black pepper and salt to taste.
  10. Add crushed red pepper flakes.
  11. Add the cooked bacon to the sauce just before serving.
  12. Add the basil.
  13. Add the pasta to the pan along with the sauce.
  14. Mix well to coat pasta with sauce.
  15. Add grated Parmesan to the top of each serving, and more crushed red pepper as you wish.

Notes

  • You can make a vegetarian arrabiata by omitting the bacon, and using extra virgin olive oils to sauté the garlic and onions.
  • Storing Leftovers
  • Reheat individual portions in the microwave or on a very low heat in a stovetop. You can reheat individual portions using the microwave, or on a very low heat in the stove.
  • This recipe freezes very well. Add the arrabiata, once it has cooled completely, to a container of frozen food. Remove as much air from the container as possible. Freeze up to two month. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.