• 11/2 c. (6 oz.) fresh goat cheese, crumbled
Have the salted water boiling.
Generously film the bottom of a straight-sided 12-inch sauté pan with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion, parsley and generous sprinklings of salt and pepper. Sauté the onion to golden brown, then stir in the tomato paste, garlic, oregano, cinnamon, sugar and Aleppo pepper or other hot pepper. Turn heat down to medium and sauté 1 minute. Add the wine and cook 1 minute.
If using fresh tomatoes, grate them on a grater over a bowl and add the pulp with its juices to the pan. For canned tomatoes, crush them as they go into the pot. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook the sauce for 8 minutes, or until thick. Taste for seasoning, remove the pan from the heat and, if using chicken or lamb, stir it in. Cover the pan.
Drop the pasta into the boiling water. Boil, stirring often, for 8 minutes or until the pasta is tender, but still has a little bite. As the pasta cooks, reheat the sauce over medium-high heat. Once the pasta is done, drain it in a colander and add to the sauce. Toss over heat for a minute or more to help the sauce permeate the noodles. Turn half of it into a serving bowl and dot with half the cheese. Add the rest of the pasta and top with the remaining cheese.
