Cooking For Student - Penny Arrabiata

Add the oil to a medium saucepan and heat over medium. Add the chopped onion into the pan and cook while stirring until softened. Place the chopped red chili or chili flakes into the pan and cook until fragrant. Stir to prevent burning. Pour the diced tomatoes into the saucepan. Add a generous pinch of garlic powder and a pinch of sugar. Bring the sauce to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir and set aside. Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt the water. Add penne to the boiling water and cook according to the packaging instructions. Drain and pour the sauce over the pasta. Toss to coat with sauce. Plate, garnish with torn basil and finish with parmesan cheese. The final product tastes great and is reminiscent of something you would get at a nice Italian restaurant. The pasta is spicy, the flavors are spot on and the addition of fresh basil (if you have it) takes the college out of this college recipe. Adding that element of freshness elevates the plate. Basil is a really inexpensive herb that can be purchased anywhere. As for the rest of the recipe, it is very versatile. If you do not have dried chili or chili flakes on hand, chili powder will provide that signature spice. You can also adjust the heat level to your liking, replace the garlic powder with fresh garlic or add fresh tomatoes to the sauce if desired. This is a recipe that really works for students because there are so many ingredient substitutions.