Penne all'Arrabbiata (Spicy Tomato and Garlic Pasta)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 26 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
All of the heat in this penne comes from the peperoncino, so adjusting that one teaspoon sets the spice level.
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The chili gets only 10 seconds in the garlic oil before the tomatoes go in; blackened garlic or chili leaves a bitter streak through the sauce. Simmered uncovered for 8 minutes, the tomatoes thicken enough to coat the outside of each tube and fill the hollow. A pinch of sugar rounds off tomatoes that taste too sharp.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Boil 180g of penne in a large pot of water with 1 tsp of salt, cooking for 1 minute less than the package directions until al dente, and set aside 1/2 cup of pasta water.
- 2
Place 2 tbsp of olive oil and 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves in a pan over low heat, cooking slowly until the garlic becomes fragrant and takes on a light golden color without burning.
- 3
Stir in 1 tsp of red chili flakes for about 10 seconds to bloom the spice in the oil, ensuring the flakes do not turn black or bitter from excessive heat.
- 4
Add 300g of crushed tomatoes and 0.5 tsp of sugar, simmering uncovered for about 8 minutes until the sauce reduces to a thick consistency that will coat each penne tube.
- 5
Combine the cooked penne and the reserved 1/2 cup of pasta water in the pan, tossing vigorously over high heat for 1 minute until the sauce emulsifies and clings to the pasta.
- 6
Adjust the seasoning with salt if necessary and garnish with 1 tbsp of freshly chopped parsley to provide a cool, herbal contrast to the lingering heat of the chili flakes.
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