Penne all'Arrabbiata
Fiery tomato sauce with garlic and chili, Roman, spicy, and ready in 20 minutes.
- Preparation
- 10 min
- Cook/bake time
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 676 kcal
- Servings
- 4
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cooking & baking
- 20 min
'Arrabbiata' means 'angry', and this Roman tomato sauce should be exactly that spicy. Garlic and peperoncino steep in good olive oil, then ripe tomatoes simmer into an intense sauce that clings to every ridge of the penne. Few ingredients, lots of character. Fresh parsley and a touch of Pecorino round it off.
Why this works
Capsaicin, the spicy compound in peperoncino, is fat-soluble and practically insoluble in water. When the chili steeps in the olive oil, the heat distributes evenly throughout the sauce instead of exploding in individual bites. This is exactly why it can only be controlled by the amount used and cannot be mellowed out later with water. Cream or cheese, on the other hand, bind it immediately.
Step-by-step instructions
- 1
Aromatic base
Heat the olive oil in a pan and let the garlic and peperoncino steep over medium heat until golden and fragrant, without letting them brown.
- 2
Simmer the tomatoes
Add the crushed tomatoes, season with salt, and let them simmer uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes until thick and the oil separates at the edges. This is the sign that the sauce is ready.
- 3
Boil the pasta
Boil the penne in well-salted water until al dente and reserve a cup of pasta water.
- 4
Combine
Drain the penne and add them to the sauce. Toss them with a little pasta water for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce coats every noodle.
- 5
Serve
Fold in plenty of parsley and sprinkle the penne with Pecorino.
Our best tips
- Control the heat by the amount of peperoncino used, it is better to start carefully and add more.
- Good canned tomatoes (San Marzano) make the difference compared to a pale sauce.
- Simmer the sauce until the oil separates again, then it is intense enough.
Tasty variations
All'Amatriciana style
Simmer with crispy fried Guanciale for a heartier, related sauce.
With fresh tomatoes
In summer, use ripe, peeled tomatoes instead of canned for a fresher and lighter dish.
Nutrition facts
| Calories | 676 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 23 g |
| Carbohydrates | 102 g |
| – of which sugar | 10 g |
| Fat | 19 g |
| Fiber | 7 g |
Where the 676 kcal come from
per serving
Calculated from the ingredients – how we do it
We add up reference values for every ingredient and divide by the number of servings. These assumptions are baked in:
- Reference values per 100 g – for the raw ingredient, exactly as listed.
- Tinned goods count at drained weight, bone-in meat at purchase weight: you eat about 70 per cent of a chicken thigh and leave the rest.
- Water evaporates as you cook. The energy stays in the pot, the weight does not – so the figure is per serving, not per 100 g of finished dish.
- Anything listed without a quantity – “salt and pepper” – is not counted.
A guide value, not a lab measurement: no two onions weigh the same, and fat content varies from pack to pack.
Frequently asked questions
How spicy is Arrabbiata?
Traditionally quite spicy, hence the name. However, the heat can be completely controlled by the amount of chili, so dose it entirely to your own taste.
Fresh or canned tomatoes?
Out of season, good canned tomatoes are usually more aromatic than pale fresh ones. In midsummer with ripe, peeled outdoor tomatoes, it becomes particularly fine.
Which pasta fits best?
Penne rigate are classic because the ridges hold the sauce. Rigatoni or spaghetti also work well.
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