Spaghetti arrabiata is a tomato-based pasta recipe made with basic ingredients like garlic, chilli flakes and basil. Find out the secret of easily making your own tomato paste that adds a depth of flavor to the spicy spaghetti sauce.
Boil 8 cups of water with 1 tablespoon salt in a deep pot. Once it comes to a rolling boil, add pasta.
Keep stirring the pasta every few minutes so they don’t clump together. Once the pasta is cooked al dente, drain using a colander.
Put the pasta back into the pot and toss it with olive oil. Keep the pasta covered for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Tomato paste: spaghetti sauce secret ingredient
Chop and puree 2 tomatoes and place in a large microwave-safe bowl.
Add ¼ teaspoon each of salt, pepper, sugar, and chilli flakes. Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil and mix everything together.
Microwave (in the open bowl) on high power for 10 minutes. Take out the bowl and stir. Microwave again for 5 minutes.
Check the consistency. If the tomato paste is not thick enough, stir and microwave for another 2 to 3 minutes.
Make spicy spaghetti sauce
Heat the remaining olive oil in a sauté pan. Add minced garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
Finely chop the remaining 2 tomatoes. Add them to the pan and sauté on high flame for 10 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium and cook until the tomatoes are mushy and cooked through.
Add the tomato paste. Stir in chilli flakes, salt, and dried basil. Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes until it reaches a saucy consistency.
Add the sauce to the cooked pasta and toss.Sprinkle grated cheese and garnish with julienned fresh basil leaves.
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Notes
Pasta cooking time: depends on the type of pasta used. Always cook 2 minutes less than the time specified on the package.
Al dente pasta: It means that the pasta is cooked tender enough to chew, but has a bite to it. The best way to test is to literally bite into a strand of spaghetti!
Tomato paste: Use a microwave-safe bowl that is large enough. The tomato puree should fill up only half the bowl.
Parmigiano Reggiano is more flavorful than parmesan. If you don’t have it, feel free to use parmesan.
Always buy blocks of cheese and grate them whenever required.
Basil: I’ve used both fresh and dried ones. If you don’t have fresh basil, use more of the dried one.
In addition to basil, you can also use parsley, either fresh or dried.