Italian Vegetarian
Penne all'Arrabbiata
Authentic Roman penne arrabbiata: a fiery tomato sauce of garlic, dried chilli and olive oil. No cream, no onion — ready in 30 minutes.
ItalianPenne all'Arrabbiata
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Serves
- 4
- Effort
- Easy
Arrabbiata means "angry" in Italian — a nod to the heat of the chilli. It's a Roman classic, and like most Roman pasta it's built on very few ingredients, so each one matters: ripe or good tinned tomatoes, plenty of extra-virgin olive oil, fresh garlic and dried red chilli (peperoncino).
What it doesn't have: cream, onions, bell peppers or a pile of dried herbs. The only green is a handful of fresh parsley at the end.
Method
Make the sauce
Cook the pasta
Bring it together
Tips that make the difference
- Start the garlic in cold oil — it infuses the oil slowly and won't burn.
- Penne rigate (the ridged kind) holds the sauce far better than smooth penne.
- Finishing the pasta in the sauce, not just pouring sauce on top, is what makes it taste restaurant-level.
- For more heat, add the chilli in two stages: half with the garlic, half with the tomatoes.