The recipe
Ingredients
- 180 g penne rigate
- 400 g tinned peeled tomatoes, including juice
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp chilli flakes, plus more to taste
- 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Salt for the cooking water and sauce
Method
- Crush the tomatoes with a fork. Peel and thinly slice the garlic.
- Warm the oil in a wide frying pan. Gently heat the garlic and an initial ¼ tsp chilli for about one minute, keeping the garlic pale.
- Add the tomatoes and simmer gently, uncovered, for fifteen to twenty minutes. Taste after a few minutes and increase the chilli if needed.
- Cook the penne in salted water until just short of your preferred bite. Reserve a cup of cooking water before draining.
- Toss the penne in the sauce with two or three tablespoons of cooking water for about one minute. Adjust with more water or a brief reduction.
- Turn off the heat, add the parsley, season with salt and divide between two plates immediately.
Warm the garlic and chilli gently in oil
For two servings, use 180 g penne rigate and one 400 g tin of tomatoes. Crush whole peeled tomatoes with a fork and include their juice. A wide frying pan gives the sauce room to reduce and will hold the pasta later. Thinly slice one garlic clove and have the tomatoes ready before warming the oil.
Start with a quarter teaspoon of chilli flakes, since their strength varies considerably between products. Warm the garlic and chilli in two tablespoons of olive oil over low to medium heat for about one minute. The garlic should become fragrant while staying pale. Add the tomatoes, then simmer gently, uncovered, for roughly fifteen to twenty minutes. Taste after a few minutes before adding more chilli if needed. This lets you build the heat to your preference instead of committing to a large quantity immediately.
Finish the pasta together with its sauce
Cook the penne in salted water and start tasting around two minutes before the packet time. Remove it shortly before your preferred firmness, since it will continue cooking in the sauce for about a minute. Reserve a cup of cooking water first. Start by adding only two or three tablespoons to the pan, then toss thoroughly. The sauce should cling to the ridges and work its way into the tubes.
If a thin red liquid remains beneath the pasta, let it reduce briefly while stirring. If the pasta seems dry instead, add more cooking water a tablespoon at a time. Turn off the heat and mix in one tablespoon of chopped flat-leaf parsley. Season with salt at this point and serve immediately. The basic recipe does not need cheese. If you choose to add some, taste the sauce with the cheese before adding any extra salt.