I hope you’re all doing well and enjoying some delicious meals.
Last week, I shared my family’s Friday barbecue tradition and the recipe for our lamb ribs, which are the meal’s star.
Today, I’m going to share another recipe that’s just as special to us. It’s my mama’s delicious Penne Arabiatta.
Now, I want to be upfront with you all. I don’t claim authenticity with this recipe. I’m sure it’s probably very different from the classic Italian pasta of the same name. But, what I do claim is originality. My mother came up with this recipe one day, and it instantly became a family favorite. It was a recurring dish every single week on our Friday BBQ menu at our beloved countryside weekend home in rural Cairo.
The recipe is pretty simple, and I’ve only made a few small changes, one out of convenience and the other out of preference. My mother always used freshly peeled and chopped tomatoes for the sauce. But, to be honest, I find it tedious to peel tomatoes, even with the blanching method. So, I use canned peeled tomatoes instead. Not only are they of much better quality, but they’re also cheaper and not dependent on the season.
The other ingredient I’ve added to the recipe is fresh chilies. I love spicy food, and even though my mother does, she avoided using chili to appeal to our young palettes. But I’ve added it as an optional but strongly recommended ingredient.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I. Let me know in the comments how it turns out for you!
Penne Arabiatta
Ingredients
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 red chillies, finely chopped optional
- 2 green capsicums (sweet peppers), cut into 1-2cm pieces
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 800 g can of peeled, chopped tomatoes*
- 1.5 tbsp sugar
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1500 g packet of dried penne pasta I used wholewheat
Instructions
- Place a large pot over medium heat and add the olive oil, garlic and chillies. Sauté for 1 minute, until garlic is fragrant, then add the green capsicum and cook for a furher 2 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the can of tomatoes and stir well. Fill the empty can with water till about two thirds full, swish the water around to collect any residual tomato, then add that to the pot. Add the sugar and season with salt & pepper, bring to a low simmer and cook, partially covered for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened substantially.
- Have a taste and adjust seasoning. At this point, you can cool and store the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- When ready to serve, boil the penne till al dente, then toss with the (hot!) sauce in the pot for a minute or two until all the pasta is nicely coated, If the sauce is too thick, add some of the pasta’s cooking water to loosen it up to desired consistency. Serve immediately.
Notes
- I often double this recipe and either freeze half for later or combine it with double the amount of pasta to feed a large crowd.
