Rigatoni Arrabbiata

First let me say I AM SORRY for another pasta recipe! I swear I wasn't planning on pasta tonight but John had to work later then expected and this meal would reheat much better then my original plan.

Ok enough with disclaimers... I love arrabbiata sauce. When I go out for Italian food I much prefer a spicy tomato based sauce over a cream sauce. I found this recipe in my Rachel Ray "Just in Time" cookbook. It is originally titled "whole wheat pasta arrabbiata with arugula" but I left out the arugula because neither of us is particularly fond. This was SPICY! (I do mean that in a good way though.) If you aren't a fan of spicy food I suppose you could leave out the crushed red pepper but that defeats the point in my opinion. I halved the original recipe and it was perfect for the two of us. However, I didn't half the balsamic or the red pepper flakes (which might explain the heat!) Enjoy!



Ingredients:

Salt
1 pound whole wheat penne rigate or gemelli pasta
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 small red onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, grated
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
One 28-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
Black pepper
1 cup grated pecorino-romano cheese
4 cups arugula, coarsely chopped (omitted)


Directions:
1-. Cook pasta as directed. Drain, reserving a ladleful of the cooking water.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the EVOO in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, then the tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
3. Add the pasta and reserved pasta cooking water to the skillet and toss for 1 minute. Add the cheese, then toss in the arugula and cook until wilted, 1 minute longer.