Penne all'arrabbiata
Roman 'angry' penne: tomato, garlic, plenty of dried chilli and olive oil, finished with parsley. No cheese.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- Hot
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Arrabbiata means angry, and the anger is chilli. Garlic and dried peperoncino warm gently in a generous pool of olive oil, peeled tomatoes go in and cook down for a quarter of an hour, and penne rigate get tossed through with chopped parsley. That is the dish. There is no Italian seasoning, no basil-and-oregano mix, no onion and no sugar. The heat should be real but clean, sitting on top of sweet tomato rather than burning through it. Let the garlic go pale gold, never brown, or the sauce turns bitter. Finish the pasta in the pan for a minute so the ridges take up the sauce. Romans mostly eat it without cheese; a little pecorino is a common habit, not the recipe.
What you'll need
7 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Penne rigate400 g
- Plum tomatoes, tinned peeled, crushed by hand600 g
- Garlic, lightly crushed or sliced3 clove
- Fresh chilli, dried peperoncino, crumbled, more to taste2 small
- Olive oil, extra virgin74 ml
- Parsley, flat-leaf, chopped1 handful
- Salt4.9 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Warm the oil with garlic and chilli over low heat until the garlic is pale gold and the oil smells hot. Remove the garlic if you like it gentle.
3 min
Step 2
Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Simmer until thick and the oil shines on top, about 15 minutes.
15 min
Step 3
Boil the penne a minute short of al dente. Finish them in the sauce with a splash of cooking water, then toss through the parsley.
12 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 296 kcal
- Protein
- 6.6 g
- Carbs
- 32.1 g
- Fat
- 16.4 g
- Saturated fat
- 2.3 g
- Fibre
- 3.5 g
- Sugar
- 4.6 g
- Sodium
- 500 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Wheat
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Dairy-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.
Substitutions
Dried peperoncino → Fresh red chilli
Brighter, less deep. Slice it fine and use more.
Tips
- Taste the sauce for heat before the pasta goes in. Chillies vary wildly.
- Tinned San Marzano or other plum tomatoes beat pale fresh ones out of season.
History & culture
A Roman trattoria plate and a late-night one: cheap, fast and loud. It sits on the same menus as amatriciana and carbonara and is the one people order when they want heat. Penne rigate are the rule because the ridges and tubes hold an oily sauce. Most Roman cooks leave cheese off so the chilli stays in front.
Arrabbiata is twentieth-century Roman trattoria cooking, from the years when tomato sauce with garlic and peperoncino became the city's quick plate. The name has also become a cooking term: anything 'all'arrabbiata' is cooked with plenty of chilli. Bottled and restaurant versions abroad added herbs, onion and sugar, but in Rome it stayed a short list.
Traditional — Tomato, garlic, peperoncino, oil and parsley. No herbs mix, no cheese.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Penne all'arrabbiata take?
25 min all in — 5 min prep, 20 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 plates. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
Hot.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Wheat. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy-free.
6 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Frying pan, Saucepan.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 tsp.
What can I use instead?
Dried peperoncino → Fresh red chilli. Brighter, less deep. Slice it fine and use more.
Any tips from this recipe?
Taste the sauce for heat before the pasta goes in. Chillies vary wildly. Tinned San Marzano or other plum tomatoes beat pale fresh ones out of season.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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