There’s one week left until the Greek-Orthodox Lent commences. This is the third and final week of Carnival, the final farewell before a fast up until Greek Easter (April 4th). This week is called Tyrini, where meat is dropped from the diet but cheeses, dairy products and eggs are allowed. Shellfish is still allowed.
In Greece, there are many who will adhere to the Tyrini diet, others will still consume meat right up to this Sunday, when the big Carnival parades close out Apokries…a farewell to meats. This week, I’ll surprise you with a few dishes.
Here’s my first dish…Penne All’Arabiatta. An Italian pasta dish that’s all about the heat, all about cheese. This recipe is inspired by a Toronto eatery that I’ve patronized for years, Scaccia. Located in the concourse level of the Manulife Centre, they serve upscale Italian cuisine for reasonable prices. There’s a takeout and sit down and from the mix of patrons (suits and grunts), one can tell Scaccia has a wide appeal.
There are many takes on “Arrabiata” but I like Scaccia’s best: a simple marinara sauce that’s spiked with some heat (chilli flakes) and it takes on a creamyness from the pieces of Mozzarella cheese that are tossed at the end with the sauce. It’s not by chance that penne rigate (ridged) is used here. The groove on the pasta capture this gooey sauce, making every bite of this pasta dish a delight.
If you like cheese and if you like heat, then this Penne All’ Arabiatta is for you. This dish is yet another example of a sauce being ready in the time it takes to boil your pasta. Indeed, most of the best pasta sauces are ready before you can say “al dente”.
Penne All’Arrabiata
(serves 4-6)
1 500gr. package of penne rigate pasta
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups of canned plum tomatoes (hand-crushed)
1 medium onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. of chilli flakes (Boukovo)
1 cup of torn pieces of Mozzarella cheese
1 cup of fresh basil, hand-torn
grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
- In a large skillet, add your olive oil over medium heat and add your onions, garlic and chilli flakes. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and allow to sweat-down for 5 minutes. In the meantime, crush the plum tomatoes with your hands and add to the skillet. Now reduce back to medium and simmer uncovered until the sauce becomes thick, about 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, place a large pot of water on your stovetop and bring to a boil. Add a good amount of salt and when your water returns to a boil, add your penne rigate. Cook according to package’s instructions (about 10 minutes).
- Your sauce should be ready by now (nice and thick). Season with salt and pepper and reserve and take off the heat. Cover to keep warm.
- When your pasta is cooked, reserve a cup of the pasta water and then strain. Add your pasta to the sauce, along with the Mozzarella, torn basil and a ladle of hot pasta water. Place the skillet on the still warm element where your pasta was boiling and toss the pasta to coat and melt the Mozzarella. If your sauce is too dry, add a little more pasta water and continue tossing.
- Your pasta is ready when the Mozzarella has melted and become stringy (think pizza). Divide and serve with some grated Romano cheese, crusty bread and a nice red wine. Serve with an Alpha Estate One (red), made of 100% Montepulciano grape.
Note: If serving as a course for a dinner, recipe serves six and if for a main, serves 4.
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© 2007-2010 Peter Minakis
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31 Responses
Thaks Peter for the recipe :) I’m not crazy about pasta but your recipe look so good. It seems to be creamy. When you say 2 can of tomatoes, is it 28 ounces can each?
Now I don’t want what I’m already making for dinner tonight!! Lovely recipe – looks really good!
yum. My version of this is totally against the rules as it contains spicy sausage and no cheese, but I’m liking the cheesey version a lot. This pasta looks so beautifully gooey.
This is my favourite pasta dish. How i wish I had this right now.
Great looking pasta Peter. If only I hadn’t gained so much weight on this recent trip to Italy! After my detox, pasta arrabbiata here I come.
I love the Italians for their ability to take 3 or 4 basic ingredients and create something as divine as this……in this case the creator was a Greek….he-he!!!!
Oh, I have never seen it makde with mozza before. It certainly does look oooey and gooeeyyyy! Yum.
Gorgeous Pictures too, you can actually see the gooey-ness.
That looks heavenly, perfect for this carb loading weather we are having.
I had some bought arrabiata sauce on my lunch today – it didn’t look anything like yours! Adding the torn mozzarella looks so good.
The pasta looks delicious. I wish I had some right now.
Hi Peter,
Very tasty recipe and a fabulous presentation.
Greeting Jacob
I’ve had this at restaurants and loved it. I need to try this!
λιποθυμώ !!!
Îλεος !!!
Ï„Îλειο !!!
I would sprinkle lot’s of parmigiano cheese on top of this pasta. Fresh basil is a must :)
Ooh, tossing the mozzarella in is a new touch for me. Certainly a delicious way to go :)
Interesting story about Lent. I learn something new everyday. The pasta dish looks yummy. I’ve had something similar at my local Italian eatery. Just because I love cheese, I add even more cheese on top. :)
Αυτό το πιάτο είναι σίγουÏα για μÎνα, η σάλτσα σου φαίνεται απίστευτα νόστιμη Peter!!!
Your penne looks sooooo good.
Mmmmm love the spice with the cheese! Do you really following the fasting? I go vegan for all of lent. Here’s to my last week of cheese… and glad to be in Greece stuffing my pie hole with graviera =))
This is an excellent recipe. I’ve tried this dish many times with similar ingredients and it never fails to fulfill our appetites!
It’s always so difficult to cook during the time of Lent, everyone gets bored so easily with the same type of food. Your recipe will definitely help mix it up.
ΚαλÎÏ‚ απόκÏιες και Καλή ΣαÏακοστή εÏχομαι.
Μάγδα
This looks so delicious & I love the heat from the chilies & the silky smooth pasta from the melted cheese. YUM!
Looks great Peter! Did you use fresh mozzarella (aka “buffalo” mozzarella) or regular mozzarella?
Marc, I used hand-torn fresh mozzarella…the good stuff!
this looks so delicious!
I lived on this for years back in grad school. But when I learned to make it years earlier, in Rome, I was told that adding cheese was heresy. I wonder if that’s just a Roman thing.
now THIS is something with which i’m familiar. cheese, tomatoes, pasta, herbs, and spice. be still my heart. :)
A delicious classic…the best! You have made me very hungry Mr Kalofagas!..LOL
Fun in eating this is summed up by two things: a great bottle of wine and a lot of heat, triple that dose of heat , merci! Maybe that’s why I like the puttanesca even more, you get olives too!
This is one of my favorite quick and simple pasta. I really like the use of the melted mozzarella in this one!
perfect dish for lent!