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Lazio · Arrabbiata

Penne all'Arrabbiata

San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, and a volcanic shower of chili — Rome's simplest and spiciest red sauce.

Total

25 min

Prep

5 min

Cook

20 min

Serves

4

EasyRomanSpicyVeganQuickTomato
Penne all'Arrabbiata — Arrabbiata

The Story

Where it comes from

Arrabbiata means 'angry' — and this sauce lives up to its name. Born in Rome's trattorias as a foil to the richer carbonara and amatriciana, it's the dish you order when you want heat without weight. The secret is in the chili bloom: garlic and peperoncino sizzled in olive oil before the tomatoes ever touch the pan.

Mise en Place

Ingredients

For 4 servings. Quantities are by weight where it matters — Italian cooking is a math of grams and minutes.

For the pasta

  • Penne rigate

    ridged penne holds the sauce

    400 g

  • Coarse sea salt

    for water

For the sauce

  • San Marzano tomatoes

    crushed by hand

    400 g

  • Garlic

    smashed

    2 cloves

  • Red chili flakes (peperoncino)

    to taste

    1-2 tsp

  • Extra-virgin olive oil

    40 ml

  • Fresh parsley

    chopped

    small bunch

Equipment

Wide skilletTongs

The Method

Chef-led, step by step

  1. 1

    Bloom garlic and chili

    3 min

    Warm olive oil over medium-low heat. Add smashed garlic and chili. Sizzle gently until the garlic is golden and the oil is fragrant — about 3 minutes. Remove garlic.

  2. 2

    Build the sauce

    14 min

    Add crushed tomatoes. Simmer 12-15 minutes until thickened and the oil separates at the surface.

  3. 3

    Cook pasta

    9 min

    Boil penne 1 minute under al dente. Reserve pasta water.

  4. 4

    Toss and finish

    2 min

    Toss penne into the sauce with a splash of pasta water. Cook together 1 minute. Finish with parsley off heat.

Chef tips

  • ·Remove the garlic before adding tomatoes — you want its perfume, not its bite.
  • ·Use penne rigate. The ridges hold every drop of sauce.
  • ·For extra heat, add a whole dried chili to the oil while blooming.

Common mistakes

  • ·Burning the garlic. Golden, not brown.
  • ·Using too much tomato — the sauce should coat, not pool.
  • ·Adding cheese. Arrabbiata is traditionally served without cheese.

The Cellar

Wine pairings

Frascati Superiore

Lazio

Crisp, mineral white that cools the chili fire.

Cesanese del Piglio

Lazio

Local red with peppery lift — fights fire with fire.

Shopping List

What to bring home

  • Penne rigate400 g
  • Coarse sea saltfor water
  • San Marzano tomatoes400 g
  • Garlic2 cloves
  • Red chili flakes (peperoncino)1-2 tsp
  • Extra-virgin olive oil40 ml
  • Fresh parsleysmall bunch

Questions

Frequently asked

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