Penne Al'arrabiatta

A delicious pasta dish, with lots of flavor. It has a bit of a kick to it, so you may want to adjust red pepper flakes and chili peppers, to taste, if needed. I received this from a friend at my bridal shower. Note that the time needed to cook is dependent upon how thick you like your sauce, which affects the simmering time.

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 1  cup onion, diced
• 1 -2  garlic clove, diced
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1⁄2 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 1⁄2 cup dry white wine
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, with juice
•  ground black pepper, to taste
• 1  tablespoon sun-dried tomato pesto or 1  tablespoon sun-dried tomato puree
• 1  tablespoon tomato paste (optional, use if you want to thicken sauce)
• 1 -2  fresh whole red chili pepper
• 1  tablespoon fresh basil, chopped and divided
• 1  tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped and divided
•  fresh parmesan cheese, grated, to taste (for garnish)
• 16  ounces penne pasta

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, garlic, and salt until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in red pepper flakes and bell pepper, and cook for about 2 minutes.
3. Add wine and reduce, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan and mixing them inches.
4. Pour in crushed tomatoes and juice, pepper, sun-dried tomato pesto or puree, and the optional tomato paste, if desired.
5. Bring sauce to a boil, add the whole red chili peppers, and reduce to a simmer.
6. Stir occasionally, until sauce has reduced to desired thickness. I usually simmer about 30 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, prepare penne according to package directions.
8. Remove chili peppers from sauce when ready, and stir in half of the basil and parsley.
9. Spoon sauce over top of pasta to serve, and garnish with remaining basil, parsley, and fresh Parmesan.