"A deliciously sweet, spicy, and tangy pasta dish made with calabrian chili paste, garlic, fennel, and tomatoes."
Calabrian Chili Tomato Garlic Pasta
4
- ★★
- ★★
- ★★
- ★★
- ★★
Jump to Section
- Recipe Card
Prep time: 15mins
Cook time: 45mins
Serves or Makes: 2
Recipe Card
ingredients
- 1/4 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil,
- 1 medium Onion, finely diced
- 1/2 bulb fennel, finely diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 teaspoon Calabrian chili paste,
- 1/4 cup tomato paste,
- 1 tablespoon honey,
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar,
- Salt, to taste.
- 8 oz dried pasta, (I like either a wide, flat noodle like pappardelle or mafaldine or a tubular pasta, like casarecce or rigatoni)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Method
Step 1
In a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed skillet, add oil, onion, fennel, and garlic.
Step 2
Turn heat to medium, and let vegetables cook for 15 minutes until soft and translucent. It’s okay for these vegetables to turn golden brown, but you don’t want to go any further past that. As they continue to cook and release moisture, you can turn the heat down to low if you see they’re browning too quickly.
Step 3
Add chili paste or red pepper flakes, and season the vegetables with salt. Let cook for another 5 minutes on medium-low until the chili begins releasing oils and smells aromatic.
Step 4
Meanwhile, set a large pot of water to boil.
Step 5
Add tomato paste and honey, and stir to incorporate. Let cook for another 5 minutes at medium heat, until the tomato paste turns from bright red to dark red and starts to caramelize.
Step 6
Add the vinegar to the sauce and stir to incorporate, then turn the heat to low.
Step 7
At this point, you’ve made the base of your sauce. The sauce will eventually get mixed into your pasta (with some pasta water to loosen the sauce), so it should taste slightly more pungent than you want it to be. In other words, it should be slightly spicier, more acidic, and saltier. If you want it spicier, feel free to add in more of the chili paste or red pepper flakes. Depending on your spice tolerance and the heat of the chilies you have, you could very well be adding in an additional tablespoon (or even two).
Step 8
Once the water is boiling, salt the water and add your pasta. Cook until a minute or two before al dente.
Step 9
To finish your pasta, keep the skillet with sauce on low. Once the pasta is ready, transfer the pasta to the skillet with a slotted spoon. Reserve at least 3/4 cup of pasta water.
Step 10
Increase the heat of the skillet to medium until gently simmering. Toss the pasta with the sauce, and loosen it with a bit of pasta water at a time.
Step 11
Let the sauce reduce for 1-2 minutes, then add more pasta water if desired until you’ve reached your desired consistency. The sauce should cling to the pasta; it should not be soupy at all.
Step 12
Season again with salt and add additional chili paste or red pepper if desired. Garnish with cheese and serve immediately.