Spicy Fussili Pasta Recipes

SPICY FUSSILI PASTA

Steps:

• To make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallots and sweat.
• Add the 5 tubes of tomato paste, stir to combine, and a cook for a few minutes; it will turn a rusty color. Add the vodka and carefully ignite it with a match to flambe' it. Do not blow the flame out; it will die off once the alcohol has evaporated.
• Add the cream and cook, whisking to combine, for 3 minutes. Stir in the pepper flakes and season with salt. Keep about 2 ½ cups in the skillet and reserve the rest for another time.
• To make the fusilli, bring a large post of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente and drain, reserving some of the cooking water.
• Meanwhile, over medium heat, add half the butter and cream to the tomato sauce. Taste and add more cream and butter until it tastes as rich as you want it. Stir to combine. Season with salt, pepper and chili flakes.
• Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss over medium heat. Slowly stream in a few spoonfuls of the cooking water to emulsify the sauce, if needed. Stir in the basil. Check the seasonings. Serve in warmed shallow bowls and pass the Parmesan at the table.
• (There's enough sauce here to freeze half and use half.)

FUSILLI WITH SPICY PESTO

Steps:

• For the pesto: In a food processor, combine the walnuts, garlic, jalapeno, cheese, salt and pepper. Process until the mixture is smooth. Add the spinach and arugula and process until blended. With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water. Place the cooked pasta and pesto in a large serving bowl. Toss well and thin out the sauce with a little pasta water, if needed.
• Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with Asiago cheese shavings and serve.
• *Cook's Note: For a milder pesto, remove the seeds from the jalapeno pepper.