"Spicy" Spaghetti

A favorite in our house.
But it doesn't photograph well . . . ;)
So here it is, picture-less.


Spaghetti All'Arrabiata
Jamie Oliver-Style
Serves 4

(Lucky for all you Non-American readers, there were European measurements with this recipe! ;)

7 tablespoons / 100 ml olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 dried red chilies
4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 red onion, finely chopped
3 14-ounce / 400-gram cans of plum tomatoes, sieved, or 3 1/2 cups / 800 ml passata
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
18 ounce / 500 grams spaghetti
1 teaspoon / 5 ml red wine vinegar

Pangrattato
3 tablespoons / 45 grams stale bread crumbs
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped (optional)
Fried sage leaves (optional)

Heat about 5 tablespoons / 75 ml of the oil in a large sauté pan over low heat. Add the chilies, garlic. and onion, and cook gently for around 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and let them cook until the sauce is quite thick, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti in the salted boiling water according to the packet instructions. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/4 cup / 60 ml of the cooking water. Once the sauce has thickened, add the red vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.
To make the pangrattato, heat the remaining oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and thyme, if desired, and fry until the bread crumbs are crispy, about 3 minutes. Add the drained pasta and the reserved pasta water to the sauce, and toss to coat. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and serve with the pangrattato over the top. if you like, you can garnish with fried sage leaves.