Penne all'Arrabbiata is a classic Roman pasta where crushed tomatoes, garlic, and chilli create a simple yet fiery sauce in just 15 minutes of simmering. The dish's standout trait is its bold heat balanced by fresh tomato flavor, requiring only pantry staples.
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Sauté - Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and stir for 10 seconds. Add cayenne and chilli flakes. Cook for 1 minute, or until garlic is light golden.
Add tomato, salt and pepper. Rinse out the tomato cans with the water and add into the pot.
Simmer - Turn up the heat to high, stir, then once it comes to a simmer, turn back down to medium heat and simmer for 15 minutes. (Taste check at 10 min – if sour, add the sugar.)
Cook pasta - Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to the boil with the 1 tablespoon of salt. Add pasta and cook per packet directions.
Save water – Just before draining, give the pot a big stir (to agitate the starch) then scoop out 1 cup of the water and set aside. (Note 4) Drain pasta.
Toss – Add pasta into the sauce along with 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Toss well (still on the stove) until the pasta is coated with the pasta sauce. Use extra pasta cooking water if needed, to loosen.
Serve - Divide between bowls and serve immediately with parmesan and parsley, if using.
Store leftover sauce refrigerated up to 3 days; reheat gently on medium heat with a splash of water. Do not store pasta mixed with sauce; cook pasta fresh and toss when serving.
Heat comes from one red cayenne chilli (with seeds) plus 1/2 tsp chilli flakes. Adjust by reducing chilli, removing seeds, or omitting flakes for milder results.
Yes, use 800g ripe tomatoes, blanch to remove skin, then mash and cook as directed. Canned crushed tomatoes are more convenient and consistent year-round.
Starchy pasta water emulsifies with oil and sauce, coating the pasta evenly and loosening the sauce to proper consistency. Start with 1/2 cup and add more as needed.
Yes, simmer the sauce up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. Cook pasta fresh, then toss together. The sauce reheats well on medium heat with a splash of water.
Penne and ziti are traditional, but any short or long pasta works. Use what holds sauce well—avoid thin long pasta like angel hair, which gets lost in this thick sauce.
