Penne all' Arrabbiata (Spicy Tomato Pasta)

Name: Penne all’ Arrabbiata (Spicy Tomato Pasta)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil; 3 cloves garlic (minced or crushed); ½ to 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (depending on spice tolerance/preference); 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes (preferably San Marzano); Kosher salt; 1 pound (16 ounces) penne rigate; Grated pecorino Romano cheese (for serving)

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Penne Arrabbiata (or Penne all'Arrabbiata) is a classic Roman pasta dish featuring a spicy and garlicky tomato sauce. It's extremely quick and easy to make and packs so much flavor into each bite with only a handful of ingredients.

Penne all' arrabbiata topped with cheese in a wide pasta bowl surrounded by small tomatoes.

Penne all’arrabbiata comes from the Lazio region of Italy, and specifically Rome. The word arrabbiata means “angry” in Italian, and refers to how spicy it is.

This spicy vegan sauce, sugo all’arrabbiata, is most traditionally tossed with penne rigate. I’ve rarely seen it served with any other pasta shape, although in some instances I've seen spaghetti used.

Penne all' arrabbiata in a pasta bowl with tomatoes and grated cheese in the background.

Arrabbiata was allegedly invented back in the 1950s and 1960s when spicy foods were particularly popular in Rome. This dish is so famous it was featured in two Italian films in the 1970s: Federico Fellini’s Roma and Marco Ferreri's La Grande Bouffe.

On a side note, arrabbiata is the correct spelling of this famously spicy dish, although a lot of Americans spell it wrong. They sometimes call it penne or pasta arrabiata (with one “b” instead of two), which is incorrect.

Ingredient notes

Ingredients for penne all' arrabbiata on a blue-grey wooden background.

Pasta: Penne rigate (penne with ridges) is the traditional pasta shape for pasta arrabbiata. Ideally, I recommend using bronze cut (aka bronze die cut) pasta. I get mine from Aldi, and it's very reasonably priced for such high quality pasta imported from Italy. Bronze cut pasta is a durum wheat pasta which has a coarser texture. It does a much better job of allowing the sauce to stick to the surface compared to other industrial types of pasta where it can slip right off. In the absence of penne rigate, you could try rigatoni or ziti rigati as two similar options (basically a tube shape with ridges).
San Marzano Tomatoes: San Marzano is a specific variety of plum tomatoes from Italy. They have fewer seeds, are sweet, less acidic, and are perfect for pasta sauces. There's a lot of debate around canned San Marzano tomatoes. There are a lot of brands claiming to be San Marzano but really aren't. Ideally, purchase a brand of canned San Marzano tomatoes which are whole peeled tomatoes (real San Marzano tomatoes are only sold whole) and imported from Italy. I use Cento San Marzano Tomatoes which often contain a large sprig of fresh basil in the can. If you do the same, remove the fresh basil before adding to your sauce.
Chili: I use crushed red pepper flakes here because they are easy to find and almost everyone I know already has them. That being said, this dish is traditionally made with whole dried or thinly sliced fresh cayenne chiles. I’ve included a range of measurements in the recipe so you can adjust the spice level to your preference. I use 1 teaspoon in mine and think it provides a fair amount of spice without being too spicy. You could certainly add more (or start with less and add more later).
Cheese: Penne all’ arrabbiata comes from Rome, so it’s only right to top it with pecorino Romano cheese (the local cheese!). Parmigiano-Reggiano would not be authentic for topping this dish, although if that’s all you have on hand it would still be delicious.

Penne arrabbiata topped with cheese in a bowl with tomatoes and grated cheese in the background.

How to make it

Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add minced or crushed garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

Crushed garlic and chili flakes cooking in olive oil in a metal pot.

Add the canned whole peeled tomatoes and stir to combine.

Canned San Marzano tomatoes in a metal pot.

Then crush the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher to break them down into small pieces.

Crushed tomatoes in a metal pot before simmering.

Season with salt, bring to a simmer and then reduce the heat and continue to simmer, partially covered to avoid splattering, for about 10 to 15 minutes over low to medium-low heat. Taste the arrabbiata sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Crushed tomatoes in a metal pot after simmering.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook until al dente. Reserve some of the pasta water in case you need it, and then drain the pasta in a colander.

Return the drained pasta to its pot and add the arrabbiata sauce.

Penne pasta in a metal pot topped with arrabbiata tomato sauce.

Toss the pasta and sauce until evenly coated. Add a splash or two of pasta cooking water if needed to loosen up the mixture.

Penne mixed with arrabbiata tomato sauce in a metal pot.

Serve penne arrabbiata immediately with grated pecorino Romano cheese.

Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.

Penne arrabbiata in a wide pasta bowl surrounded by small tomatoes on a wooden background.

Expert tips and FAQs

You can freeze the cooled arrabbiata sauce in an airtight freezer-safe container for 2 to 3 months. Thaw and then gently reheat in a covered saucepan over low heat, stirring regularly. Then toss with freshly cooked pasta to serve.

Leftover penne all'arrabbiata will inevitably soak in some of the sauce and appear dry. Add a few splashes of water and before reheating in the microwave. It won't taste as fresh and saucy as when you first make it, but it will still be tasty especially after a shower of pecorino Romano cheese over the top!

Penne arrabbiata has a small number of ingredients. This makes it especially important to use the best quality ingredients you can find to ensure an outstanding result. See the “Ingredient Notes” section above for some of my recommendations on the best ingredients to use for this recipe!

While you can absolutely crush up the tomatoes in the pot with the back of a wooden spoon, I do find it goes a bit faster if you use a potato masher to break them up more. Either tool will get the job done.

What is the difference between arrabbiata sauce and marinara sauce?

Although both sauces are tomato-based sauces featuring fresh garlic, arrabbiata is notably spicy because of the addition of chiles or chili flakes. Meanwhile, marinara is sweeter and often contains herbs such as basil and/or oregano and even onion.

Closeup of penne all' arrabbiata topped with grated cheese in a shallow white bowl.

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