Authentic Penne all’Arrabbiata
Spicy Italian Pasta in 30 Minutes
If you’re craving a bold and spicy Italian pasta, Penne all’Arrabbiata is your go-to dish. This fiery Roman classic combines pantry staples like garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, and red pepper flakes to create a flavorful vegan-friendly meal in under 30 minutes. Whether you’re using penne, rigatoni, or gluten-free pasta, this easy arrabbiata sauce brings serious heat and authentic Italian flavor to your table.
I’m sort of wondering why this wasn’t one of the first pasta recipes I shared here with all of you. Along with my easy lemon ricotta pasta and spaghetti aglio e olio, penne arrabiata was another classic easy pasta recipe I’ve been making on constant rotation for years!
A complex tomato sauce that is cooked in fruity extra-virgin olive oil, a bit of fresh garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. So simple to put together, yet so flavorful!
The delicious sauce cooks in minutes and then is tossed together with the pasta, and a sprinkle of Italian parsley.
I guarantee you will add this pasta to your repertoire! So simple to make and truly satisfying, you'll have to serve it with our easy Ligurian focaccia bread with rosemary or some crusty no-knead Italian bread.
If you're wondering what arrabbiata sauce is made of, it's a spicy tomato sauce from Rome using garlic, olive oil, and crushed red pepper flakes—no cheese or meat, making it a great vegan Italian pasta recipe.
This easy penne arrabbiata recipe is one of my go-to comfort dishes when I want to make a flavorful, spicy Italian pasta at home without too much prep.
What is Penne all’Arrabbiata?
Before we get to the recipe, you may be asking — exactly what is arrabbiata sauce? It’s a spicy tomato marinara sauce that originates from Rome, Italy. In Italian, arrabbiata translates to mean “angry” sauce, thanks to all of those spicy chile peppers. And as mentioned above, this sauce can be used in any number of dishes.
Traditional sugo all’arrabbiata is made with just olive oil, garlic, tomatoes and dried (or fresh) red chile peppers. But modern versions are often amped up with some extra basil and onion. And since many American grocery stores don’t sell whole dried (or fresh) red chili peppers, I’ve written this recipe using crushed red chili flakes instead.
Why we love this spicy pasta recipe:
Made with simple pantry ingredients: Take a look in your pantry and I bet you have what is needed to make this pasta right this moment!
Dairy free + vegan: Since this pasta is naturally vegan and totally dairy-free, you could make this for family/friends that follow those diets.
Ready in a flash: The sauce cooks up so quickly and when it's almost, done, you make the pasta and combine it together.
Gluten-free: Make it gluten-free, if you like! Use your favorite GF spaghetti or any other GF long pasta.
Ingredients you'll need
This is what you will need to make this classic Italian pasta dish (full printable recipe is below):
Pasta: I used penne, but you could use any short pasta, like rigatoni, farfalle, mezze-penne. You could even use it with a long pasta, like spaghetti, or bucatini.
Olive oil: As I typically mention for most recipes, use a very good quality extra-virgin olive oil. Even if you invest in a smaller sized bottle, you will notice the flavor difference.
Crushed red pepper flakes: Not easy to find fresh peperoncini (red hot chili peppers) at a produce market (depending if you're in the States, you could use another type of red hot pepper). For this recipe, we used crushed red pepper flakes (not ground cayenne pepper).
Garlic: Fresh garlic is best (I do not recommend garlic powder). If you find bottled minced garlic, you could use that.
Canned whole tomatoes: Like the olive oil, it's important to use a very good quality brand. San Marzano DOP authentic whole peeled tomatoes would make the best flavored sauce. Any good-quality brand will make a very nice flavored sauce.
Fresh Italian parsley : Use fresh parsley (or fresh basil). I do not recommend dried parsley. Add some more chopped fresh parsley on top when you serve the pasta (if you like).
Salt: I used sea salt for the arrabbiata sauce. To cook the pasta, I use coarse sea salt.
How to Make Spicy Italian Pasta at Home (Step-by-Step)
Here is how to make the arrabbiata sauce:
Gather all ingredients: First step is to gather all the ingredients. This sauce is quick to put together.
Sauté the crushed red pepper flakes: Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or deep sauté pan. Add in the crushed red pepper flakes and sauté for about 1-2 minutes. Keep an eye on it, because if the pan is too hot, they will brown quickly.
Add the garlic: Add in the garlic and sauté until for a minute (it gets color quickly, so don't let it brown).
Add tomatoes: Next, add in the tomatoes (also the juices). I break them up and remove the hard stem before I add them to the pan. Use your wooden spoon to break them up and stir.
Simmer the sauce: Once the sauce comes to a nice simmer, lower the heat to medium-low. Keep it simmering for about 25-30 minutes. Continue heating the sauce until it comes to a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium (or medium-low) to maintain a low simmer, and let the sauce cook for about 30 minutes, or until it the sauce is as thick (or thin) as you would like to to be.
Boil pasta water: When you have about 15 minutes left of simmering, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add salt to the water when it comes to a rolling boil.
Cook pasta: Add in the pasta, and cook until it's 1-2 minutes before al dente (be sure to check cooking time on pasta box).
Stir in the parsley + salt : Then taste the sauce, and season with any extra salt, and some more crushed red pepper flakes, as you like, to your taste.
Drain pasta: Drain the pasta in a colander and be sure to reserve a bit of the pasta water. Immediately transfer the pasta to the pan with the sauce. Raise the heat a little and combine, stirring with the sauce. If it's too thick, add a bit of the reserved starchy pasta water to thin it out.
Plate up the pasta: Serve the pasta and add some more chopped fresh parsley, if you like.
If the sauce gets a little too thick for your liking (especially once you have mixed it in with the pasta), feel free to add in 1/4 cup of the starchy pasta water to thin it out a bit. Or if the sauce is too thin for you, just keep simmering it until more of the juices have evaporated and the sauce has thickened.
Tips for the best Arrabbiata Sauce
Prep all the ingredients: Get your sauce ingredients together before starting to cook. This is a very quick sauce to make. If you're chopping your own garlic, get that ready and cut up the fresh basil.
Generously salted pasta water: Don't forget to add plenty of salt to the pasta water. IF you forget the salt, the pasta will end up being very bland.
Keep an eye on the garlic: As soon as it turns a light golden brown, remove the pan from the heat and wait for the pasta to be ready to add.
Adjust the heat: If you're making this for kids, leave out the hot pepper flakes. If you like it very spicy, add more pepper flakes to your taste.
What to serve with Penne Arrabbiata
Arrabbiata sauce is usually served with penne pasta. Since it is such a versatile sauce, it could be enjoyed in different ways.
Pasta: If you have other pasta shapes in the pantry on hand, go ahead and use one of them. It goes great with long pasta shapes, like spaghetti or bucatini. It's even delicious with gnocchi or ravioli.
Polenta: Serve the sauce with our slow roasted Italian pork with polenta. If you don't want to make the pork, just cook up the polenta alone. The sauce and the polenta are a great combination.
Eggs: Arrabbiata sauce is could be used in our eggs in purgatory. If you're making for kids and adults, I would do one portion not spicy (for the kids)and one spicy (for the adults).
How to cook pasta:
Use a big pot: Very important to cook the pasta in a large enough pot with enough water. The pasta will expand as it cooks. For every 3.5 ounces of pasta, you'll need 4 cups of water. Stir the pasta as soon as you add it to the boiling water. If you don't, it will stick to the bottom of the pot.
Generously salt the water: As soon as the water starts to boil, add in 1.5 tablespoons of salt. If you use less than that, the pasta will be very bland.
Keep stirring: Stay close to the boiling pasta and stir it frequently. The water could boil over if you walk away and don't stir it. It has to stay at a rolling boil. Do not simmer the pasta, as it won't cook up.
Reserve pasta water: Before you drain the pasta, keep some of the starchy pasta water. Do not rinse the pasta in cold water. The pasta gets added immediately to the pan with the arrabbiata sauce. If needed, you could thin out the sauce with a little bit of the starchy reserved pasta water.
FAQs
What's the difference between marinara and arrabbiata sauce?
The similarity in the two sauces is that they both use tomatoes as a base. Marinara is a mild sauce and arrabiata is a spicy sauce, as red pepper flakes are used in the sauce.Add image
Can arrabbiata sauce be made ahead of time?
Yes, it is such a simple sauce to make. But it's really nice to cook up ahead of time. Make it 2-3 days before and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Cook the pasta and heat the sauce in a skillet when ready to enjoy.
Can I make a gluten-free pasta arrabbiata?
Yes, just use your favorite gluten-free pasta brand.
Can I make arrabbiata sauce without tomatoes?
Not really—tomatoes are the base of arrabbiata sauce, so omitting them changes the essence of the dish. However, if you’re allergic or avoiding tomatoes, you can try a spicy red pepper–based sauce with olive oil and garlic as a substitute, but it won’t be an authentic sugo all’arrabbiata.
Is arrabbiata sauce healthy?
Yes! Arrabbiata sauce is naturally healthy—it’s low in fat, free of sugar, and loaded with antioxidants from tomatoes and garlic. It’s also a vegan Italian pasta recipe that can be made gluten-free if paired with GF pasta. Just keep an eye on portion sizes and pasta type if you're watching carbs.
How to Store or Freeze Arrabbiata Sauce
If you have any leftovers, let it cool down to room temperature and then store in airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Yes, you can freeze the sauce. Let the arrabbiata sauce cool down completely, and then store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge. When you're ready to enjoy the sauce, heat it with some cooked up pasta.
More Easy Italian Pasta Recipes
FULL RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW
Prep Time5minutes mins
Cook Time22minutes mins
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Servings: 6
Ingredients
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Savoring Italy to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.