~ Rigatoni with Caramelized onions and Calabrian Chiles ~
Arrabbiata is very easy to make. But when I conceived of this dish, I was thinking about how I could add complexity to this classic “angry” recipe. I say “conceived” because I have not based this on any previous recipe I’ve seen. I was thinking balance; and the sweetness of the onions contrasts beautifully with the heat from the Calabrian Chile. The “dream” is for the cream….
Rigatoni with Caramelized Onions, Calabrian Chile and Cream
As with many Tuscan Vines Recipes, simplicity is key. This dish succeeds on three main ingredients and can be made in the time it takes to cook the pasta. Andiamo…..
- 1 pound Rigatoni
- 1 1/2 to 2 sweet onions, depending on size
- Calabrian Chiles with oil
- About 8-12 ounces light cream
- 4-6 ounces guanciale
~ Start by rendering the guanciale over low heat. Be patient and careful not to burn the meat ~
The first step is to render the fat from the guanciale. Like Carbonara, this recipe uses no olive oil. But, if your pan is a bit dry, add about 1 teaspoon of the oil from the calabrian chiles. When the guanciale is crisp, but not burned, remove it from the pan and add your sliced onions.
~ This is the onions beginning the sweating process ~
Allow the onions to caramelize slowly. If you cook them at too high a flame, they won’t develop the sweet flavor you’re looking for. And you’ll want that flavor to balance the heat from the chiles.
~ These are the chopped Calabrian Chiles that I used for the dish. There are many brands available, but be forewarned – they are quite hot, so proceed cautiously ~
Once the onions are cooked, prepare to add the light cream and the chile peppers. Meanwhile, get your pasta into the water. Salted, please.
~ These are the onions after 10 minutes on low flame with about a teaspoon of the chile oil added while they cooked ~
After reaching the point in the picture above, add your light cream. I used probably 8 ounces, but it may have been slightly more. You can add more or less depending how creamy you want it. At this point, also add a generous teaspoon of the diced chiles. It is, after all, Arrabbiata!
~ This shows the consistency I had from the cream and also the amount of chile added. It doesn’t look like a lot, but again, be forewarned ~
As the pasta finishes cooking, reserve a 1/2 cup of the cooking water in case you need to thin your sauce. I drizzled a little bit into the pan after draining the Rigatoni. Toss the pasta in the condimento until coated and then plate immediately. Garnish with a few pieces of the reserved guanciale.
If you like, pass pecorino at the table. I chose to go without. For the brave, you can pass extra dried chile flakes or even garnish with a dollop of the Calabrian Chiles. <insert fire emoji here>
~ The finished Arrabbiata ~
This Arrabbiata is decadent in both the complexity of the flavors and the texture. The onions are sweet, the chiles spicy, the smokey, salty punch from the guanciale is all balanced by the cream.
So, what to drink? Generally with spicy, I prefer a low tannin red or a crisp white. For this, I drank the Campochiarenti 2019 Vernaccia. Naturally, many of my readers love Daniele’s Vernaccia and this was quite a good pairing. Find Campochiarenti Wines. Salute!
~ Salute ~
