Penne all'arrabbiata with pili-pili
Our version of penne all'arrabbiata: a garlicky tomato sauce, flavoured with dried Madagascar pili-pili chilli, ready in under 30 minutes.
- Prep 10 min
- Cooking 20 min
- Total 30 min
- Serves 4 servings
- Difficulty Easy
Penne all'arrabbiata is a Roman pasta dish, built on a tomato sauce seasoned with garlic and chilli, ready in a few minutes. Here is our version, where whole dried Madagascar pili-pili chilli, which our family grows and prepares in Vangaindrano, in south-eastern Madagascar, replaces the usual fresh chilli.
The garlic and chilli first infuse in hot olive oil, before the tomato comes in to simmer gently until it thickens.
Preparation
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Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil for the pasta.
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Thinly slice the garlic. Crumble the dried pili-pili chilli or chillies between your fingers, removing the seeds if you want a milder dish.
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In a wide frying pan, heat the olive oil over low heat. Add the garlic and the crumbled pili-pili, and fry for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, without letting the garlic colour.
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Pour in the tomato pulp, season with salt, and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly.
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Meanwhile, cook the penne in the boiling water for the time stated on the packet, so they stay firm.
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Drain the penne and tip them into the pan with the sauce. Toss over high heat for 1 minute to coat them well.
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Sprinkle with chopped flat-leaf parsley and serve immediately.
The little extra that changes everything
Always fry the garlic and chilli over low heat, never high: burnt garlic turns bitter and takes over the whole dish. Crumble the dried pili-pili between your fingers or in a mortar just before adding it to the oil, a method covered in whole or powdered dried chilli, so it flavours the oil from the start of cooking rather than staying on the surface. Our products for this recipe: Madagascar pili-pili chilli
