Penne with Spicy Tomato Sauce

So contrary to what I wrote before, there are times when I don't have to persuade Mr. Smith too much to watch Food TV. It's usually when the bobble head chef with the giant knockers is on- yeah, you know the one. Doesn't it figure that this is also his favorite sauce. The man never eats leftovers and ate this for three days straight.... what the ....? This takes about an hour and a half to come together, so it may be tough for a weeknight, and is reminiscent of a puttanesca sauce. I played with the ingredients and added a bit more crushed red pepper and garlic than the recipe below, and it came out perfect for us, but I leave that up to you.

Penne with Spicy Tomato Sauce
From: Everyday Pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes, with juice
1 dried bay leaf
8 anchovy fillets packed in olive oil, minced
3/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
2 tablespoons drained capers
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound penne pasta
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

In a large dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrot, and salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes longer. Add the tomatoes and bay leaf. and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Add 1 cup of water if the sauce gets too thick. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

Place the minced anchovies and some of their oil in a medium, heavy skillet. Stir over medium heat until the anchovies melt, about 2 minutes. Add the olives, capers, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Saute until the olives are heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir the olive mixture into the sauce and simmer over medium heat until the flavors blend, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often to prevent the pasta from sticking together, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Add the penne to the sauce and toss to coat, adding enough of the pasta water to moisten. Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.