This is a very popular classic tomato-based pasta sauce elevated by the use of chilli. Arrabbiata means ‘angry’ in Italian so you can make this as spicy as you like – my suggestions for the amount are purely notional. There are lots of recipes around for this sauce so I’m giving you a quick one and a Jamie Oliver twist on it that takes a little more effort but is really delicious – a confit of garlic and chilli is added to the sauce. You can make that part well ahead though. I used the leftover confit as a marinade some BBQ lamb and it was delicious. Traditionally, this is served with penne pasta but you can use anything you like really.

• Serves 4
• 1 x 500g pack of your favourite pasta – this sauce usually goes with penne but works with spaghetti too
• 1 x 400g can of tomatoes – the Mutti brand makes the best sauce
• 2 tbsps chilli oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
• 1 tsp hot chilli flakes
  • 1 x large fresh red chilli, thinly sliced
  • 1 medium bunch of curly parsley, finely chopped
  • Salt and pepper
  • Optional confit: 5 red chillies (lightly pricked), 3 fresh bay leaves, 1 head of garlic, enough light olive oil to cover, red wine vinegar. Add the chillies, bay leaves and the individual garlic cloves (keep the skin on) to a small pan, cover with olive oil and add a splash of vinegar. Place on a very low heat and allow to poach for 45 minutes. Cool. Pour the oil into a separate container to use another time. Slip the skin off the garlic and the chilli and chop. Add to a small container and cover with a little of the chilli oil.
  • Optional: 1 tsp crushed fennel seeds.

To make…

• Pour 2 tbsps of chilli oil into a large cold pan and place on a medium heat. Add the garlic and chilli, once it colours, add the tin of tomatoes and half a can of water. Simmer gently and season with salt and pepper until the sauce has thickened – the juice and water should evaporate and leave a thick sauce.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water – it usually takes about 10 minutes to cook al dente.
• Add the pasta to the sauce along with a little of the pasta water. Stir and cook through for a couple of minutes. Finish with freshly chopped parsley.
• To make the JO version, follow the same steps but use the confit chilli oil, add the crushed fennel seeds and add a tbsp of the garlic and chilli confit before adding the tomatoes. It will add a wonderful extra layer of flavour that is well worth the effort.

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