RECEPT: Penne Arrabiata

What do you need?
- Penne Rigate pasta
- 4 oz of pancetta cut into small dice (or bacon)
- Italian peeled and chopped tomatoes (I used 2 cans)
- 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoon of fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- Freshly grated Parmiggiano Reggiano
- Pinch of hot pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste

I never ever liked cooking, being in the kitchen or anything that has something to do with food (except eating, ofcourse). But with the experience of living on my own, and not wanting to eat take-away food all the time, I was forced into the kitchen. What was my worst enemy, became a friend. I can honestly say that I enjoy cooking nowadays. I still don't do it very often (keep in mind I spend about 4 nights per week in a hotel...), but when I find a good recipe, I love to try it out. And this one turned out to be so good that I wanted to share it with you! I hope you like it!

Let's get started!

Fill a large pot with water, add some salt and bring to a boil. When it's boiling, add the penne rigate pasta. Mine took about 10 to 11 minutes to become 'all dente'. Cook yours according to the package.

In the mean time, you can put the panchetta in a large skillet and let it cook over medium heat till it gets nice crispy and a bit brown. After a couple of minutes, add the chopped garlic and let it cook for another minute.

Add the canned tomatoes and stir thoroughly! Reduce the heat to low and let it cook for another 10 - 15 minutes.

Pasta should be done now! Make sure to drain it and add a teaspoon of olive oil to the pasta.

Add the parsley to the sauce and stir. If you like, you can already add the parmiggano cheese and stir it again. But it would be nice to also put the cheese on the table for your guests so they can add as much as they like.