Penne all'Arrabbiata
with Smoked Pancetta and Fresh Basil
- Cereals containing gluten
- Milk
A great number of adjectives are used to describe food but 'angry' isn't usually one of them. Although that's exactly what 'arrabbiata' means in Italian. Given that this tasty recipe can be ready in the time it takes to boil some pasta, there’s really nothing to be angry about. So smile and tuck in!
Ingredients
2
Red Pepper
4
Garlic Clove
1
Basil
3
British Smoked Bacon Lardons
2
Chopped Tomatoes
1.5
Smoked Paprika
400
Wheat Penne Pasta
(Contains: Cereals containing gluten)
40
Parmesan Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
Utensils
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 200°C. Put a Large Saucepan of water with a good pinch of salt on to boil for the pasta. Halve, then remove the core from the red pepper and slice lengthways into ½cm strips. Place on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Cook on the top shelf of your oven for 15 mins.
Peel and grate the garlic (or use a garlic press). Pick the basil leaves from their stalks and tear into pieces (discard the stalks). TIP: Tearing releases more flavour than chopping.
Heat a splash of olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Fry the pancetta until it's crispy round the edges, 4-5 mins. Add the garlic. Cook for 2 mins.
Add the diced tomatoes along with the smoked paprika (add more or less to taste). Season with a good pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook on medium heat for around 10 mins, until you have a nice thick sauce.
Meanwhile cook the penne in your pan of boiling water until 'al dente', about 6 mins. TIP: ‘Al dente’ simply means the pasta is cooked through but has a tiny bit of firmness left in the middle. When the pasta is cooked, drain in a colander and stir it into the thickened tomato sauce. Once the pepper is nice and soft, add it to the sauce too.
Scatter the basil leaves over the pasta. Grate on the parmesan cheese and dig in!
