Fresh tomatoes, fragrant garlic, a generous drizzle of olive oil and a fiery kick of chilli—this classic penne Arrabbiata is proof that simple ingredients can create seriously delicious pasta!
There are some pasta recipes that prove you really don’t need a long list of ingredients to create something incredibly delicious. This classic penne Arrabbiata is one of them.
This super-popular Italian pasta is all about a simple, fiery tomato sauce made with fresh tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes and good-quality extra virgin olive oil.
The tomatoes are blanched, peeled and cooked down slowly with tomato paste until they turn into a thick, intensely flavored sauce.
Toss in perfectly al dente penne, and you have a bowl of pasta that is comforting, rustic and packed with flavor.
What is classic Penne Arrabbiata?
Classic penne Arrabbiata is a classic Roman pasta dish from the Lazio region of Italy. It consists of penne pasta tossed in a spicy tomato sauce flavored primarily with garlic and red chilli flakes.
Unlike creamy pasta sauces, Arrabbiata is wonderfully light yet hearty and vibrant. Traditionally, the sauce is made with tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and chilli, allowing the natural flavor of the tomatoes to shine through.
In this version, I used fresh tomatoes that are first blanched, peeled and deseeded, then cooked down with tomato paste, freshly minced garlic and red pepper flakes.
The sauce is simmered until thick and concentrated before the cooked penne is tossed through it.
The name Arrabbiata literally means “angry” in Italian, referring to the characteristic heat from red pepper flakes. But don’t let the name intimidate you!
You can easily adjust the amount of chilli to suit your preference. And honestly, this is exactly the kind of pasta I love cooking at home.
No complicated ingredients, no elaborate preparation—just a handful of good ingredients treated with a little care.
The fresh tomatoes bring natural sweetness and acidity, garlic adds depth, olive oil carries all those flavors beautifully, and the chilli gives the sauce its signature kick.
