spicy rigatoni arrabbiata

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Serves 4

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

  • 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 16 ounces rigatoni

  • Spicy Arrabbiata Sauce, recipe follows

  • Fleur de Sel

In a sauté pan warm the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the thyme leaves and sauté for 30 seconds then add the Panko and the salt. Toast the Panko for 2-3 minutes stirring frequently until golden brown. Turn off heat and transfer to a bowl.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and heavily salt with kosher salt. Cook the rigatoni according to the package directions for al dente.

Meanwhile, place the Spicy Arrabbiata sauce in the sauté pan and bring to a bubble over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low while the pasta cooks.

When the pasta is about 1 minute shy of al dente, reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid then, using a slotted spoon or strainer, transfer the noodles to the hot arrabbiata sauce. Turn up the heat to medium-high and finish cooking the pasta in the sauce, stirring frequently and adding some reserved cooking liquid if it looks too dry. Turn off the heat, transfer to serving bowls and top with the crunchy Panko and a sprinkling of Fleur de Sel.

Spicy Arrabbiata Sauce

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 cup chopped onions

  • 3 tablespoons chopped garlic

  • 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste

  • 1-28 ounce can crushed San Marzano tomatoes

  • 1 cup water

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and black pepper and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 additional minutes before adding the crushed tomatoes and water. Increase the heat to high to bring the sauce to a boil then reduce the heat to medium and allow the sauce to simmer for ten minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to slightly cool.

Optional: I always do this because I prefer a smoother sauce. Once the sauce has cooled, use an immersion blender to puree it slightly.

Note: This sauce freezes extremely well if you’d like to make in large batches to use throughout the year. Make the sauce as directed, allow to cool completely, puree with an immersion blender if desired then pack into airtight containers and freeze in small portions. Defrost at room temperature to use anytime a recipe calls for tomato sauce and you want one with a little zip!