Penne Arrabbiata (Spicy Pasta)

Penne Arrabbiata or Arrabiata sauce (sugo all'arrabbiata in Italian) is a Roman spicy classic sauce made with garlic, tomatoes and chili. The name all'arrabbiata ('al-ara-bi-a-ta') translated means 'angry".

This spicy Italian Penne Arrabbiata is a great homemade vegetarian option and it all comes together in 20 minutes! Serve with freshly grated Parmigiano (Parmesan cheese) or Pecorino Romano, basil or parsley. We love a good Italian meal in our family and as I've said before if I skip too many days of cooking pasta, my husband gets confused. Staples are an important part of dinner around here like Spaghetti With Anchovies Garlic Olives and Parmesan, Spaghetti Aglio Olio e Peperoncino, Spaghetti With Clams and Garlic and Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Pasta & Beans).

If you love easy and delicious then this is the recipe for you and the good news is that it's also quick! I've since updated this post with new images because in food blogging we require the light to be on par and it's not like that every day. Some times I look back at my pictures with a cringe, anyone else?:)

We love quick pasta meals in our family especially for lunch! Today was no different because the simplicity of this recipe is not to be underestimated. As you can see you can use any type of pasta penne, spaghetti, fusilli, rigatoni or any other. Serve it with crusty bread or Homemade Ciabatta Bread

Arrabbiata Sauce (Sugo all'arrabbiata)

There are a few ingredients and the thing to remember is that they need to be really good quality as with all Italian dishes. Fresh basil, parmesan or perocino, and not pregrated store-bought cheese becuase the quality is different!

Ingredients For Penne Arrabbiata

Penne: Penne, spaghetti, fusilli,

Tomatoes: Canned tomatoes, your favortie best choice quality tomatoes.

Fresh basil: You can also use fresh parsley

Garlic: Must be fresh.

Olive oil: We are using this extra virgin cold pressed olive oil.

Chili: A crushed chili or fresh chili that you can dessed for less heat. We are using this Calabrese.

FAQ's Penne Arrabbiata

What type of pasta is best for arrabbiata?

Penne is the first choice, pappardelle, spaghetti, fusilli, rigatoni, ziti or pasta shells.

What is arrabbiata sauce made of?

Arrabbiata sauce is made using garlic, tomatoes and some type of dried chili. This is all cooked in olive oil and the pasta is added to the sauce.

How To Make Pasta All'Arrabbiata

Please find the full recipe card below.

Cook the pasta: Cook the penne or other pasta. Drain and set aside.

Make the arrabbiata: Add the oil, garlic and calabrese (or your chili choice) to a skillet over medium heat and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and simer for 10 minutes before removing from the heat and adding the fresh basil.

Add the pasta and parmesan/pecorino: Toss and enjoy.

Arrabbiata Variations

Arrabiata pasta: substitute with any pasta and you can see the pasta option types above under frequently asked questions.

Add meat:  Remember that penne arrabbiata is the authentic recipe and when you add another ingredient like meat or vegetables it's no longer an authentic arrabbiata but yes, you can add them. Ground beef, chicken, shrimp, chorizo, sausage or meatballs. 

Add vegetables:  grill preferred vegetables (zucchini, bell peppers, onions etc. )

To freeze:  Always let the arrabbiata sauce cool down completely and then store it in a freezer safe container for 2 to 3 months 

To Reheat: Reheat it in a saucepan on low heat and always make the pasta of your choice on the day.

The only difference in how you use the tomatoes is in the texture, a few chopped tomatoes or smooth tomatoes, there's no right or wrong way to it. Try both and see which you and your family prefer.

Calabrese spice (fresh or crushed chili), extra virgin olive oil, garlic, tomatoes and Parmesan cheese, that's essentially what a pasta all'arrabbiata needs.

Cook's Tips

Fresh chili is great in this recipe but if you can't find any then dried chili flakes also works. If you don't like too much heat simply deseed it by slicing down the middle of the chili and removing the seeds. 

For added flavor and fragrance I used Smell and Taste Pasta Seasoning which is 100% natural ingredients.  All our spice ingredients are a blend of natural spices, have no fillers or unnecessary overfill of anything except dried, ground and dehydrated veggies. You can visit our store here.

Tomatoes: You can use fresh tomatoes that have been roasted or just fresh tomatoes but your cooking time will be longer for fresh tomatoes. Roasted tomatoes will add more flavor to the recipe but a good quality canned will also add flavor and be more convenient.

Whole tomatoes: Either you are adding the tomatoes into the pan and breaking them down with a wooden spoon or blending them. The difference is that in blended tomatoes you get a smoother finish whereas they remain textured if you use the back of a spoon to break them down.

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If you try this Pasta All'Arrabbiata recipe please leave me a comment and a star rating! And if you take a photo of your dish and share it on Instagram, tag me @anosmickitchen and use the hashtag #anosmickitchen because I love seeing your remakes! Happy cooking????

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