Penne Arrabbiata with a twist

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 400 g minced meat, mixed
• 1 bread roll, soaked in milk or water
• 2 eggs
• 1 onion(s)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp margarine
• Salt
• pepper
• 1 tbsp paprika powder
• 2 tbsp mustard
• Breadcrumbs, for binding
• Fat, for frying
• 300 g Penne Rigate
• Salt
• 2 onions
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 chili pepper(s)
• 600 g tomatoes, preferably plum tomatoes
• ½ bunch basil, alternatively dried, frozen or pickled in oil
• ½ bunch oregano, alternatively dried, frozen or pickled in oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

With meatballs; extra hearty – extra spicy

Mix the ground meat with the well-squeezed, torn bread roll and the eggs. Peel and chop the onion and garlic cloves, and sauté in the hot margarine until translucent. I like to do this in a covered glass bowl in the microwave; it’s done in a flash. Let it cool slightly, then add it to the meat. Blend everything into a compact mass. Season with salt and pepper, paprika (sweet; the brave ones use hot; I usually use half and half), and mustard. Lightly thicken the mixture with breadcrumbs and form meatballs. Heat fat in a pan and fry the meatballs. Cook the pasta as usual in plenty of salted water until al dente (follow the package instructions if necessary). Drain (do not rinse) and let it drain well. Peel and chop the remaining onions and garlic cloves, and sauté in hot olive oil until translucent. Wash, trim, halve, and deseed the chili pepper. Then dice the tomatoes and add them to the onions and garlic, and sauté briefly. Peel and deseed the tomatoes, chop them finely, add them, and sauté briefly. Sauté the whole thing for another 5-6 minutes. Rinse the fresh oregano and basil under cold running water, pat dry, finely chop, and stir into the vegetables. Then puree the whole thing into a thick sauce. Add the pasta and sauce to a pan, toss briefly, and season with salt and pepper. Serve the penne arrabbiata with the meatballs and garnish with sprigs of herbs, if desired. Serve with mineral water. Avoid beer if possible; this will make the dish even more spicy.