Baked Arrabbiata Spirali Tri Color Pasta

Total Cooking Time: 30 mins

Serves: 2

Ideal for: A candlelight dinner date

Level of Cooking: Easy

Taste: Spicy

 

Ingredients:

Spirali tri color pasta (or any pasta available): 1 cup

Tomato pasta sauce: 1/2 jar

Olive oil

Clarified Butter

Water

Mozzarella cheese (or any cheese that is available), grated

Vegetables:

1/2 Onion, thinly sliced

1 tomato, medium chopped

1/4 medium sized capsicum, medium chopped

4-5 mushrooms, sliced

1/3 cup olives, pitted and sliced

1/2 cup jalapenos, sliced

 

 

Spices (as per taste):

Salt

Black pepper powder

Red Chilli Flakes

Arrabbiata spice mix (if available)

Basil powder (if available, you can use fresh basil as well)

 

Steps:

Boil Pasta: 

1. Add 4 cups of water in a pan.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of salt and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
3. Bring the water to a boil.
4. Add Spirali tri color pasta in the boiling water. Keep pasta in water till al-dante.
5. Take a sieve and drain out all water from the pasta. RInse the pasta under running water once.
6. Toss 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the pasta so that it does not stick.

Prepare Sauce:

1. In the pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of clarified butter. I use garlic and herbs butter for this. Oil prevents the butter from burning.
2. Add onions, mushrooms, capsicums and tomatoes. Saute till they are soft.
3. Add tomato pasta sauce. Although you can make the pasta sauce by yourself, but for this recipe I used the mushroom tomato pasta sauce that is available in the market.
4. Cook for 3-4 minutes till the raw smell and taste of the sauce goes away.
5. Add olives and jalapenos.
6. Add a pinch of salt, black pepper powder, chilli flakes, arrabbiata spice mix and basil powder. If arrabbiata and basil are not available, then you can use oregano as well.
7. Mix well.
8. Add some grated cheese and mix well.
9. Add the boiled pasta in the sauce and mix well.

Bake:

1. Preheat oven to 220 ºC.
2. Transfer the pasta to a baking pan.
3. Add a layer of cheese on the top. Use as much or as less cheese as you want.
4. Put the baking pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or till the cheese becomes a bit brown.
5. Serve hot.

Since the pasta is spicy, a sweet, bold red wine really complements the dish. You can go with Italian Chianti, Merlot, Zinfandel or Pinot Noir.

Happy cooking! Enjoy!!