Rigatoni with Salami and Chilli

Some like it hot.

I was planning to make Thai mussels for Valentine's Day but, after getting home late from work last Saturday, I had one of those 'allthisfoodinthefridgeandtheresstillnothingtoeat' moments and we ended up eating them two days early. (with a rather nice bottle of Sancerre kept under the stairs for such emergencies) Luckily the Ewing had bought me a delicious salami for Christmas and most of it was still lurking at the back of the salad drawer.  I slowly cooked some onions and garlic until they were sticky and golden, then added the fried sausage, tomato and plenty of dried chili. (Peppers are a great addition too, sliced and added with the onions.)  You can use any sausage or chorizo, just make sure it's full flavoured enough to stand up to the punch of the chili heat.

While this recipe may seem similar to the Bucatini all'Amatriciana I blogged about recently the key to that dish was a few precise ingredients, this can be improvised to include what ever you've got in the cupboard.  It pretty much resembles a meaty arribiata sauce and, with the English translation being angry or 'pissed off', it made the choice seem even more apt as an antithesis to all the usual lovey-dovey Valentine's stuff.

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Rigatoni with Salami and Chilli

1 Small Salami

2 Onions

Olive Oil

1 tsp Sugar

1 Clove of Garlic

3 Dried Red Chillies

1 Tin of Tomatoes

200g Rigatoni

Parmesan or Pecorino to serve

Thinly slice the onion and garlic and slowly caramelise in some olive oil with the sugar and a pinch of salt. (about 20 minutes)

Meanwhile chop the salami into chunks and fry in a pan until crispy.

Add the drained sausage pieces and tomatoes and chillies to the onion and simmer gently until reduced.

Cook the pasta in salted water, drain then return to the pot and stir through the sauce.

Serve with plenty of grated parmesan or pecorino

While a big bowl of chilli-laden garlicky carbs may not be everyone's idea of a romantic dinner à deux, it's certainly a great way to spice things up.