Penne all’Arrabbiata

Tags: #italian #pasta #vegan #dairy-free #spicy Serving: 4 servings Total time: 30 minutes

A Roman classic of penne in a fiery garlic–chili tomato sauce, finished with parsley and extra-virgin olive oil.

Ingredients

• 320 g penne rigate (dry)
• 3,000 ml water
• 30 g fine sea salt (for pasta water)
• 40 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 12 g garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 g dried red chili flakes (peperoncino)
• 800 g whole peeled tomatoes, canned
• 4 g fine sea salt (for sauce)
• 10 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 10 ml extra-virgin olive oil (to finish)

Steps

1. Pour 3,000 ml water into a large pot.
2. Bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat.
3. Add 30 g salt to the boiling water.
4. Open the tomato can.
5. Crush the tomatoes by hand in a bowl.
6. Heat 40 ml olive oil in a wide sauté pan over medium heat.
7. Add the sliced garlic to the pan.
8. Cook the garlic until pale golden, 60–90 seconds.
9. Add the chili flakes to the pan.
10. Stir the chili in the oil for 10 seconds.
11. Add the crushed tomatoes to the pan.
12. Add 4 g salt to the sauce.
13. Simmer the sauce over medium heat until thickened, 10–15 minutes.
14. Add the penne to the boiling water.
15. Stir the penne to prevent sticking.
16. Cook the penne until very al dente, 1–2 minutes shy of package time.
17. Reserve 120 ml pasta cooking water.
18. Drain the penne.
19. Add the drained penne to the sauce.
20. Add 60 ml reserved pasta water to the pan.
21. Toss the penne in the sauce over medium-high heat for 1–2 minutes.
22. Add the chopped parsley.
23. Drizzle 10 ml olive oil over the penne.
24. Taste the pasta and adjust salt or chili to preference.
25. Plate the pasta.
26. Serve immediately.

Notes

• Use high-quality whole peeled tomatoes (e.g., San Marzano). If the tomatoes are watery, extend the simmer to concentrate flavor.
• Keep the garlic pale golden to avoid bitterness; lower the heat if it colors too fast.
• Adjust heat by varying chili from 1 g (mild) to 3 g (hot). Blooming the chili in oil briefly boosts aroma.