Angry Pasta

I love Italian food. I'm sure most of my posts will start out this way. "I love_______." But I DO! I love how the simplest of ingredients becomes a complexity of flavors that leaves you completely satisfied. This dish is no exception. The picture does this dish no justice. Bear with me. I'll learn how to take better pictures, I promise.

The name of this dish is Pasta Arrabiata. Say that with me for a minute and see how it rolls off the tongue...Pas-ta Arr-ah-bee-ahh-tah...See? You love it already, don't you? It's fun to say, fun to make and fun to eat!

The word Arrabiata means "angry". It gets this name because of the spiciness of the sauce. Angry pasta. Roar...

It's a simple recipe that my family loves for me to make. It's so easy. And so good. For serious.

Pasta Arrabiata
Start with some garlic. LOTS of garlic. Peel them and get them ready for slicing.

Okay now slice those delicious morsels into thin slices and then scrub

your hands for about an hour to get the garlic smell off. Unless you like that smell. This is a judgement free zone.

Throw them into an already hot pan with some olive oil and saute for a few minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. The sauce will be bitter if you do...not the flavor you're going for.

Once they are lightly brown, throw in some red pepper flakes. The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon...you be the judge. I like mine a little more "angry" but if the kids are eating, I'll add a little less. You're the boss. Do it your way.

Add some diced tomatoes,

preferably a good quality Italian brand, tomato sauce and a handful of fresh basil, torn into pieces. Simmer this for about 20 mins.

While that's going on, start your pot of water for your pasta, making sure to salt it well. Add your penne pasta and cook until al dente. That means "firm to the bite". I'm bilingual and junk. Don't be jealous.

Now it's time for the messy part...the part I LOVE! Crack some eggs in a bowl and whip them. Whip 'em good. In another small bowl, add bread crumbs, a little Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Mix that up then dip your chicken cutlets into the egg, then bread crumbs, then place it in a pan of hot olive oil to start frying.

You only need to fry these babies for about 5 mins on each side to get them done. Set aside and keep frying.

That's it people. I drain my pasta, pour my sauce over it and toss to coat, pour it on a platter, slice my chicken on top and serve. PERFECTION.

If you're one of those "follow specific directions" type of people, I'll add the official recipe here. I'm a kind of "gimme some room to create" type, but I know it takes all kinds, so here you go...

Pasta Arrabiata

1/2 C olive oil, divided

6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

1 tsp of red pepper flakes

1 (28-oz) can of diced tomatoes with garlic and olive oil

1/2 c tomato sauce

1 bunch fresh basil, chopped

1 (12-oz) package of dried penne pasta

2 eggs

2 c bread crumbs

1/2 c parmesan cheese

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 pound thin chicken cutlets

Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for a few minutes. Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes, and saute for another minute. Pour in the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, and add the basil. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta and cook for about 8 minutes. Drain.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs. Place bread crumbs in a separate bowl. Stir in the cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Dip chicken into the egg mixture, then press into the bread crumbs until completely coated.

Heat remaining olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Fry chicken for about 5 minutes per side.

Remove chicken and cut into slices. Stir the pasta with the sauce, plate it and top it with the chicken.

You're ready to bless this mess and eat up.

Let me know if you try it and what you think! Manja! Manja!