flamePastaUnder 30 mins

Spicy Tomato Pasta with Arugula

Prep5 min

Cook15 min

Total20 min

Serves4 servings

Method

Steps

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta, then adjust the heat to maintain a gentle boil and cook until the pasta is just al dente, about 1 minute less than the package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water; drain the pasta in a colander.
Wipe out the same pot and return to medium heat. Add the olive oil and tomato paste, stirring until combined and slightly darker in color, about 2 minutes. Season lightly with salt and add the chile paste, stirring to combine, 15 to 30 seconds.
Reduce the heat to low. Add the pasta and 1/2 cup of the pasta water to the pot; use tongs to stir and coat the noodles. Drizzle with oil as needed to prevent the noodles from sticking and allow the sauce to adhere, tossing until the noodles are all a fiery orange color. Add a splash more pasta water if it looks dry. Season with salt as needed.
Divide the pasta among individual bowls, then set the arugula on one side. Finish with some grated cheese, more chile and a final drizzle of oil, if desired. Toss to integrate and soften the arugula, if desired.

Originally published at cooking.nytimes.com. Reproduced for personal collection.