Spaghetti Arrabiata

I can't really imagine that there are still people out there who have never cooked spaghetti arrabiata and I initially didn't plan to post this (after all VERY simple) recipe, but when I made this the other night I was reminded (once again) what a beautiful dish this is, so here we go. Spaghetti arrabiata is extremely simple to make, requires a very short list of ingredients and is a perfect blend of tastes. The sweetness of the tomatoes is nicely balanced by the chili, add a bit of parmesan and you have a perfect dinner.

Ingredients (serves 4): 

2 cans of peeled tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic
2 shallots
1 tablespoon of tomato concentrate
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 red chili
1 handful of fresh cherry tomatoes

Preparation:

1. Peel the shallots and the garlic, chop finely. Cut the chili in rings (depending on how hot the chili is you might want to remove the seeds).

2. Fry the shallots in some olive oil until translucent. Add the garlic and the chili and continue to fry for a few more minutes. Then add the tomato concentrate, canned tomatoes, an additional can-filling of water, the sugar and some salt and pepper.

3. Stir well and set to simmer for about 1 hour. I leave the lid on, but tilt it slightly so that some of the steam can escape. After about half an hour add the cherry tomatoes (cut in half).

4. When the hour is up the sauce should have a fairly thick consistency. Season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar (as needed). The sauce should have a slightly sweet and at the same time spicy flavor.