Penne With Arrabbiata Recipe

Boil pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 2 tablespoons salt. Add 400 g dried penne and cook according to package instructions for al dente (usually 10–12 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water just before draining, then drain the pasta and set aside.

Prepare tomatoes

Open the 800 g can of whole peeled tomatoes. Crush them by hand in a bowl or use a handheld masher to break them into bite-size pieces. Set aside.

Sweat garlic and chilli

In a large sauté pan or shallow skillet, heat 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the 4 thinly sliced garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. If using the fresh red chili, add it now. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant and just turning golden (about 1–1.5 minutes). Do not let it burn.

Deglaze

Carefully add 60 ml white wine or stock to the pan to deglaze, scraping any browned bits from the bottom. Let it reduce for about 1 minute until most of the alcohol aroma is gone (skip if not using).

Simmer sauce

Add the crushed canned tomatoes and 1 tablespoon tomato paste to the pan. Stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1 teaspoon sugar if tomatoes taste overly acidic. Let the sauce simmer, uncovered, for 12–15 minutes to thicken and concentrate flavors, stirring occasionally.

Finish sauce with parsley

Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with more salt or pepper if needed. Stir in three-quarters of the finely chopped parsley (reserve the rest for garnish) and simmer 1 more minute.

Combine pasta and sauce

Add the drained penne to the sauce pan and toss to combine over low heat. If the sauce feels too thick or clings too tightly, add reserved pasta cooking water a few tablespoons at a time (up to the reserved 1 cup) until the sauce coats the pasta evenly and reaches desired consistency. Cook together for 1–2 minutes so the pasta absorbs sauce.

Serve

Divide pasta among plates or a serving bowl. Sprinkle the remaining chopped parsley on top and grate 1/2 cup Parmesan or Pecorino over each portion to taste. Drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil if desired and serve hot.