Penne all'Arrabbiata

We had 14 tomato plants in our garden this year, and about an equal number growing in large containers on our deck and in our small greenhouse.  When the subject of vegetable gardening inevitably came up at work, and my coworkers heard how many tomatoes we were growing, they would laugh and look at me as if I were completely nuts.  Then they would say something cute like "one or two plants is more than enough for our family".  Clearly these people are not Italian. It is all about the gravy, baby.  Tomato sauce, that is.

One of our culinary staples at home is Penne all'Arrabbiata. Arrabbiata is an Italian tomato sauce that literally translates as 'Angry Pasta' because of it's spiciness. Here is our recipe for Penne all'Arrabbiata:


Ingredients:

6 cups fresh tomatoes  (If you don't have fresh tomatoes, use two 28 oz. cans but omit the salt if your canned tomatoes are already salted)
3 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons capers

Heat olive oil on low heat for one to two minutes.
Saute garlic and chili flakes for approximately two minutes. Add tomatoes and salt.  Simmer on medium heat for approximately one hour, stirring frequently.  Add capers and continue to cook sauce down to desired consistency - approximately 15 minutes.
Serve over cooked penne.