Pasta is not supposed to be complicated. I get so cranky when I see 40-step pasta recipes with 37 ingredients, all requiring elaborate prep. To me, pasta is all about getting a hot, tasty meal onto the table and into tummies as quickly and enjoyably as possible.

Enter this outstanding arrabiata recipe. Arrabiata’s name comes from the Italian word “arrabiato,” which means “angry,” a nod to this sauce’s fiery heat. Simple crushed chilies, (available inexpensively in the spice aisle or for free when you order pizza) get toasted in extra virgin olive oil and release their own oils, creating a hot and deeply flavorful sauce, along with garlic, onions and tomatoes. The cool, creamy goat cheese works like a raita alongside a hot Indian curry, cooling the palate with each spicy bite.

I love to make this dish with fire-roasted canned tomatoes (see note in ingredients list), since their smoky, charred flavor complements this sauce’s spiciness so nicely. This sauce also works very well over nutty whole wheat pasta (like the bucatini pictured).