Penne arrabbiata is a great classic of Roman cooking: pasta in a tomato sauce with garlic and chili, finished with a drizzle of olive oil and a little parsley. In Italian, arrabbiata means angry, because of the chili that gives the sauce its kick.
I have eaten it in quite a few places on my travels. In New York, I had dinner at Jose Luis in Little Italy, Manhattan, with pasta all’arrabbiata and calamari. In Milan, before going to the San Siro stadium, I first ate my favourite dish in front of the stadium, a salsiccia con cipolla e peperoni, and then a plate of pasta all’arrabbiata at the Al Meazza restaurant.
Here is the traditional recipe, not a restaurant’s. With a few pantry ingredients, you get a real Italian dish in less than half an hour.
The recipe
Classic recipeThe traditional recipe for the dish, not the one from the restaurant where I tasted it.
Ingredients
- 400 g penne rigate
- 600 g peeled tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 dried red chilies (or 1 tsp chili flakes)
- 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley
- 40 g coarse salt for the pasta water
- Fine salt
Method
- Peel the garlic and slice it thinly. Crumble the dried chilies with your fingers. Wash, dry and finely chop the parsley.
- In a large frying pan, heat 4 tbsp of olive oil over low heat with the garlic and chili for 2 to 3 minutes. The garlic should only just turn golden, otherwise it becomes bitter.
- Add the peeled tomatoes, crushing them by hand or with a fork, and a pinch of fine salt. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring now and then, until the sauce thickens.
- Meanwhile, bring 4 litres of water to the boil with the coarse salt. Cook the penne for 2 minutes less than the time on the packet.
- Scoop out a ladle of the pasta water, then drain the penne and tip them straight into the pan with the sauce.
- Toss for 1 to 2 minutes over high heat, adding a little pasta water, until the sauce coats the pasta well. Turn off the heat, add the parsley and the last spoonful of olive oil.
- Taste, adjust the salt and serve right away, piping hot.
Tips and variations
- Adjust the chili to your taste: start with just one chili if you are not a fan of heat.
- Traditionally there is no cheese, but a little grated pecorino romano goes very well with the sauce.
- For a smoother sauce, replace the peeled tomatoes with 600 g of tomato passata.
- The sauce keeps for 3 days in the fridge in a closed container, so make a double batch.
Recipe shared for guidance only, adapt it to your equipment: times and temperatures may vary. Check for allergens (gluten, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, nuts, sesame…) and make sure ingredients are fresh. Raw or undercooked fish, meat and eggs are not recommended for pregnant women, young children, elderly or vulnerable people. Take care with hot oil, flambéing and alcohol. I am not a health or nutrition professional.