Penne arrabbiata is a classic Italian spicy pasta dish. Learn how delicious, yet quick and easy it is to make in the authentic Italian way!
One of the things that frustrates me the most with Italian food in America is the misconception of what is actually termed “Italian food”.
DISCLOSURES: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The tomatoes were provided courtesy of the Consorzio di Tutela del Pomodoro San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese-Nocerino DOP and ANICAV.
If you think that Olive Garden and other similar chain restaurants serve Italian food, you are sorely mistaken. I hesitate to even call it “Italian-American” food as most of their dishes are untraceable to anything that is actually Italian.
One of the biggest mistakes made when cooking an Italian recipe is not using top quality ingredients (and this does not mean the most expensive ingredients). I’ve written many posts which detail how and why it is crucial to have the best ingredients which will give you the optimal results with your dish. For example, my fish and tomato pasta recipe where I discuss using really good tomatoes.
Well, today I’d like to introduce you to the “cream of the crop” of really good tomatoes! I’m doing this on the suspicion that many of you may never have even heard of them before. It may seem daunting to read the name of these tomatoes, but if you remember it-it will afford you many benefits!
Pomodoro San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese-Nocerino DOP
Are all San Marzano Tomatoes Created Equally?
The short answer is, no. In order to find the best San Marzano tomatoes that I am discussing with you now, you will need to look for the following words: dell’Agro Sarnese-Nocerino, DOP. This is the “stamp of approval”, for lack of a better term, that you are buying the authentic and real product. These tomatoes are grown in a very specific area, “exclusively for the can cultivated in the 41 towns situated within the volcanic-rich production area of Agro Sarnese-Nocerino near Naples, Italy. They are the only cans that can use the DOP label” which assures its quality to you.
You can read more detailed information about these special tomatoes on the ilovesanmarzanodop.com website.
They’re fabulous for make this authentic Italian quick tomato sauce, too.
“The true essence of just-harvested tomatoes picked under the European Mediterranean sun, a tomato
with the most beautiful fragrance, flavor and shade of red, with an elongated cylindrical shape – grown specifically for the can. Being the king of tomatoes, the Pomodoro San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese-Nocerino DOP is fit for a king but accessible to all!”
If you’re going to make a classic Italian dish like penne arrabbiata, you don’t want to end up with something that tastes awful because you didn’t bother to use sweet tasting and non-acidic tomatoes. As I have said in past posts: if you want to do your own taste test, dip your finger into the tomatoes and taste them.
If you make a face because they’re so sour and acidic, your dish will taste that way, too. However, if you were to try the pomodoro San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese-Nocerino DOP, guaranteed there will be no sour faces! EDITED: I forget that many people always add sugar to their tomato sauce. As Frank from Memorie di Angelina pointed out in the comments: there’s no need to add sugar to tomatoes when they are naturally sweet! 😍Pomodoro San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese-Nocerino, DOP are easy to find online and at your local Italian market or deli.
What is Penne Arrabbiata?
Penne in Italian means feathers, and if you know what a quill pen looks like, you’ll understand why this shape of pasta is named after them. Arrabbiata means angry, so this “angry pasta” is named because it’s spicy and hot! Don’t be put off by its name though, because you can make it as angry as you like! A little spicy pepper or a lot, either way or in between is delicious! If you don’t have fresh, use dried pepper flakes like this.
I used one of these cayenne peppers that I grew as they are quite spicy, however if you like, you can remove the seeds (which makes the dish less spicy). Love the heat? Add more! I would try to stick to cayenne or super chilis as using jalapenos, Scotch bonnet or other hot peppers will impart a very different flavor that isn’t normally used in penne arrabbiata.
How do you Make Penne Arrabbiata?
The sauce is the spicy part of penne arrabbiata, and it’s super quick and easy to make. In fact, the sauce will be ready before the pasta is finished cooking! So, let’s get to the recipe!
Penne Arrabbiata
recipe by Christina Conte (this is how my family and most Italians make this dish) serves 5
Start Cooking the Pasta.
Boil a big pot of salted water and start cooking your penne (use a good quality pasta like De Cecco or Rustichella d’Abruzzo, not Barilla if it’s made in the US). Don’t forget to keep stirring it whilst making the sauce.
Make the Arrabbiata Sauce
In a large sautè pan, heat the oil over medium heat then add the garlic, chopped, fresh cayenne pepper (or dried flakes) and chopped parsley (you can also use dried parsley).
Purée the San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese-Nocerino DOP for a smooth sauce (I use an immersion blender right in the can-just don’t lift it up while processing). When the garlic starts to turn a golden color, turn up the heat and add the tomatoes (have a lid ready) and continue to cook over high heat, removing the lid once the sauce is simmering.
Don’t simmer the sauce too slowly though as it needs to cook quickly; adjust the heat as needed. Add salt.
Stir often and taste, adding more salt if necessary. Once the sauce is cooked, thickened and tastes good (you’ll be shocked at just how good it tastes), remove from the heat and add fresh basil leaves.
Add the Pasta to the Sauce.
When the pasta is al dente (still a little hard in the middle, but not crunchy), turn off the heat. There are two ways to drain the pasta: CHOOSE ONE!
- With slotted spoon or tool like in the photo above (my Nonna’s ❤️) drain the pasta and add directly to the pan with the arrabbiata sauce.
- Save a cup of pasta water and set it aside before draining the pasta in a colander. Then add the pasta to the sauce in the pan.
Stir the pasta and sauce together until well mixed (over the burner which will still be hot, or you can turn it on very low). If you used method #2, you will more than likely find your pasta is too dry; add some of the reserved pasta water.
DO NOT BE TEMPTED TO PUT THE NAKED PASTA ON A PLATE OR BOWL AND DUMP SAUCE ON TOP!
Pasta served this way tastes completely different, in a bad way. Trust me on this, but if you don’t believe me, do a side by side taste test using the exact same pasta and sauce. Okay? Told you so!
Serve the Penne Arrabbiata.
You can serve the pasta on a plate, but serving it in a bowl (like the one in my photos) keeps the pasta hotter, longer. Add chopped parsley and serve with another hot pepper if you need more heat!
Now, all that is left to do is to enjoy this incredibly delicious authentic Italian pasta! Have some fresh, crusty bread nearby to do “la scarpetta” at the end (wiping the empty plate with bread)! Your taste buds will appreciate the effort you took to source good quality ingredients, especially the Pomodoro San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese-Nocerino, DOP! Buon appetito!
Italian Insider Recipe Idea: Penne Arrabbiata alla Vodka!
Love penne arrabbiata AND penne alla vodka? You don’t have to choose! This recipe is made just like penne alla vodka (with the exception of pancetta in my recipe), so just follow my Zia Francesca’s penne alla vodka recipe, but add some cayenne pepper at the beginning and you’ll have the best of both worlds! Delizioso!
Penne Arrabbiata (Authentic Italian Spicy Pasta Recipe)
An authentic Italian spicy pasta recipe made in under 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Italian penne pasta (good quality Italian made pasta)
- 5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (like Lucini)
- 3 or 4 large cloves of fresh garlic
- 1 or 2 fresh cayenne peppers (remove the seeds if you think it will be too spicy for you) or dried flakes
- 1 Tbsp chopped, fresh or dried Italian parsley
- 24 oz can Pomodoro San Marzano dell'Agro Sarnese-Nocerino (tomatoes)
- 2 tsp Kosher salt (more or less to taste, but this is for the sauce, you'll need lots more to salt the pasta water)
Instructions
Start Cooking the Pasta.
- Boil a big pot of salted water and start cooking your penne (use a good quality pasta like De Cecco or Rustichella d'Abruzzo, not Barilla if it's made in the US).
- Don't forget to keep stirring it whilst making the sauce.
Make the Arrabbiata Sauce
- In a large sautè pan, heat the oil over medium heat then add the garlic, cayenne pepper and chopped parsley.
- Purée the San Marzano dell'Agro Sarnese-Nocerino DOP for a smooth sauce (I use an immersion blender right in the can-just don't lift it up while processing).
- When the garlic starts to turn a golden color, turn up the heat and add the tomatoes (have a lid ready) and continue to cook over high heat, removing the lid once the sauce is simmering.
- Don't simmer the sauce too slowly though as it needs to cook quickly; adjust the heat as needed. Add salt.
- Stir often and taste, adding more salt if necessary. Once the sauce is cooked, thickened and tastes good (you'll be shocked at just how good it tastes), remove from the heat and add fresh basil leaves.
Add the Pasta to the Sauce.
When the pasta is al dente (still a little hard in the middle, but not crunchy), turn off the heat. There are two ways to drain the pasta: CHOOSE ONE!
- With slotted spoon or tool like in the photo above (my Nonna's ❤️) drain the pasta and add directly to the pan with the arrabbiata sauce.
- Save a cup of pasta water and set it aside before draining the pasta in a colander. Then add the pasta to the sauce in the pan.
Stir the pasta and sauce together until well mixed (over the burner which will still be hot, or you can turn it on very low). If you used method #2, you will more than likely find your pasta is too dry; add some of the reserved pasta water.
DO NOT BE TEMPTED TO PUT THE NAKED PASTA ON A PLATE OR BOWL AND DUMP SAUCE ON TOP!
Pasta served this way tastes completely different, in a bad way. Trust me on this, but if you don't believe me, do a side by side taste test using the exact same pasta and sauce. Okay? Told you so!
Serve the Penne Arrabbiata.
- You can serve the pasta on a plate, but serving it in a bowl (like the one in my photos) keeps the pasta hotter, longer. Add chopped parsley and serve with another hot pepper if you need more heat!
- Now, all that is left to do is to enjoy this incredibly delicious authentic Italian pasta! Have some fresh, crusty bread nearby to do "la scarpetta" at the end (wiping the empty plate with bread)! Buon appetito!
Notes
FYI: Substituting inferior ingredients will give you inferior results.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 293Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 942mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 7g
Nutrition information is only an estimate.
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Of course, I have never been able to order this out, so I am glad to have a recipe for in-house production (and G elimination)! Funny – it has never occurred to me to make this. Thanks for the inspiration. I have a case of DOP San Marzano tomatoes coming any day now.
Your sauce looks so silky and luscious! I’ve heard about this recipe for ages but I’ve never tried even though I’m fond of cooking tomato sauce :)
Gorgeous. I love anything and everything Arrabiatta!
I do love spicy food more and more all the time!
Great post with lots of important nuggets of information! No need to add sugar to our tomato sauce if you start out with sweet tomatoes, right? And as for dumping sauce on naked pasta, it’s one of my number one culinary pet peeves. I’d list it as a crime against humanity. Or at least against good eating. Why do people do that?
Great point with the sugar, Frank! I’ve gone back and added your comment (I forget people are adding sugar, and a lot of it, sometimes, to their sauce.) Funny that you call it a crime against humanity, but I think they truly do not understand how different it tastes. In fact, I watched a young woman on Instagram this morning that made a blood-curdlingly bad version of what she called “Bolognese” and she actually said, “Italians like to mix their pasta into the sauce, but I like to dollop it on top, like this.” She then proceeded to drop the thick paste on top of the naked pasta and I had to stop watching at that point. Torture!
Such a great post, Christina. I had no idea the name meant “angry pasta” and I love that you say you can make it as angry as you like it. :-D Everyone in my house likes a different level of angry, which is always a bit tricky. I’ll sort it out. I will order some of these tomatoes for sure. ~Valentina
Not difficult, Valentina! Make it mild and let everyone who likes it “more angry” add more hot pepper. I usually eat a cayenne pepper with my non-spicy pasta; they’re very good for you. You’ll love the proper San Marzano tomatoes, no matter what you use them in! :)