Penne all'Arrabbiata Recipe — Spicy Roman Tomato Pasta

About This Recipe

Arrabbiata ('angry' in Italian) is one of Rome's great contributions to world cuisine — a furiously spiced tomato sauce that takes less than 20 minutes and costs almost nothing. The heat comes entirely from dried chilli (peperoncino), the depth from good tomatoes. Quality ingredients matter here: San Marzano tomatoes and extra-virgin olive oil are non-negotiable.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 400 gpenne rigate
• 400 gtin San Marzano tomatoes
• 4 clovesgarlic(thinly sliced)
• 1–2 tspdried chilli flakes(adjust to heat preference)
• 4 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbspfresh flat-leaf parsley(chopped, to serve)
• 1 tspsalt

Instructions

1. 1

   Bloom garlic and chilli

   Warm olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add garlic slices and chilli flakes. Cook 2–3 minutes, stirring, until garlic is golden (not brown) and the oil is fragrant and red.

   Golden garlic = sweet and nutty. Brown garlic = bitter. Watch it carefully.

2. 2

   Add tomatoes and simmer

   Crush tomatoes by hand into the pan. Season with salt. Simmer uncovered over medium heat for 15 minutes until the sauce thickens and oil rises to the top.

3. 3

   Cook pasta and combine

   Cook penne in heavily salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water. Drain and toss with the sauce, adding pasta water as needed to loosen. Serve with parsley.

Variations

• •

  With guanciale: fry diced guanciale in the oil before the garlic — then it becomes a hybrid of arrabbiata and amatriciana.

• •

  With shrimp: add peeled shrimp in the last 3 minutes of sauce cooking.

Storage

The sauce keeps refrigerated for 5 days and improves overnight. Cook pasta fresh each time.

Frequently Asked Questions