Deconstructed Arrabbiata
Serves: 2
Carole Volkman
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
50
Spice
52
Sweetness
52
Sourness
39
mins
Prep time (avg)
6.3
Difficulty
Ingredients:
1
Onion1 pinch
Sugar1 cup
Basil Leaves (fresh)1
Sea Salt1 clove
Garlic (very finely chopped)4 tbsps
Harissa1 cup
Pine Nut (chopped)1
Salt450 g
SpaghettiDirections:
1
For the tomato sauce: Put the tomatoes and their juice in the bowl of a food processor
2
Grate 3 to 4 tablespoons of the onion directly into the food processor so the juice falls into the tomatoes
3
Add the sugar, basil, garlic and a liberal drizzle of EVOO (about 1 tablespoon), and season with sea salt and pepper
4
Whizz the mixture up until it's pureed, then transfer it to a small pot
5
Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook 20 to 30 minutes
6
(If you're not serving the sauce immediately, cool and then refrigerate it
7
Any leftovers are delicious on spaghetti with butter and cheese for a more simple supper another night
8
It also freezes well if you want to make a double or triple batch
9
) Rinse out the food processor and return the bowl to the base
10
For the chile paste: Finely chop the chiles (remove the seeds if you want to curb their heat a little)
11
Sprinkle some sea salt over the chiles on the cutting board, then mash in the garlic to form a paste
12
Mix with the harissa in a small container
13
Cover and store in the refrigerator
14
For the pesto: Lightly toast the pine nuts in a small skillet
15
Let cool completely
16
Combine the pine nuts, basil, parsley, EVOO, cheese and garlic in the food processor
17
Season with salt, pepper and a few grates of nutmeg
18
Pulse until the mixture is well blended, then transfer to a small container
19
Cover and store in the refrigerator
20
(The pesto freezes well, so double or triple the batch if you like
21
) To serve, bring the sauces to room temperature
22
Reserve one-third of the chile for other uses
23
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the spaghetti until al dente
24
Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid, then drain the pasta
25
Meanwhile, reheat the tomato sauce in a small pot over medium-low heat
26
Put the pasta in a serving bowl, douse with the reserved cooking water and stir in all of the tomato sauce and half of the pesto
27
Drizzle with EVOO and add 1 tablespoon of the chile sauce at a time, adjusting it to your preferred level of heat
28
Toss vigorously to combine
29
Serve with lots of cheese and the remaining chile paste and pesto sauce for stirring in to each person's taste
30
Finish with another drizzle of EVOO