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Home » Pastas + Risotto » Penne Arrabbiata Recipe

Penne Arrabbiata Recipe

Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon Jessica Randhawa
November 8, 2019
5 from 8 votes


Last Updated November 8, 2019 | 0 Comments

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Penne Arrabbiata is an easy and delicious Italian pasta dish made from simple ingredients including olive oil, garlic, dried red chili flakes, and tomatoes. Enjoy this irresistible, homemade Penne Arrabbiata Recipe with juicy baked chicken or meatballs for a complete, protein-packed dinner.

Small dinner plate filled with penne noodles tossed in homemade arrabbiata sauce.

Penne Arrabbiata Recipe

Spicy, saucy, and so easy to make right at home, this delicious penne arrabbiata recipe is so much better than paying for overpriced restaurant pasta. Seriously though – when did restaurant and take-out pasta get so expensive?

Fresh and healthy, the best part about penne arrabbiata (and all homemade pasta sauce) is that you can make it exactly how you like. Want it to burn your face off (please don’t)? Add more dried red chili peppers. Planning on serving it to the kiddos? Add less. Or, better yet, try my homemade marinara sauce (they’re pretty much the same thing, only one means “angry” in Italian). Hate the shape of penne pasta? Use your favorite like ziti, bowtie, or even spaghetti.

What is arrabbiata sauce?

Sauce all’arrabbiata, or arrabbiata sauce, is a simple, flavor-filled pasta sauce traditionally made from garlic, tomatoes, and dried red chili peppers cooked in olive oil. From the Lazio region of Italy, arrabbiata literally translates to “angry” in Italian, thanks to the fiery heat from the chili peppers. Traditionally, arrabbiata sauce is served with penne pasta.

Small dinner plate filled with penne noodles tossed in homemade arrabbiata sauce.

Penne Arrabbiata Ingredients

All it takes to make this delicious penne pasta are a handful of simple ingredients,

  • Penne pasta – or other favorite pasta like ziti, spaghetti, angel hair (one of my favs), or even macaroni noodles. Trying to eat fewer carbs, try replacing the penne for zucchini noodles or even cauliflower mashed potatoes (trust me, so good!)
  • Olive oil – or butter.
  • Crushed red pepper flakes – the kind of red pepper flakes you sprinkle on pizza. If you know you’re sensitive to spicy food, please only add a small amount to start. You can always add more later.
  • Yellow onion – or shallots. Of course, you can also skip the onion and leave it out.
  • Garlic – Unlike the onion, please don’t skip the garlic. 
  • Tomato paste and Canned whole tomatoes – You want the whole peeled tomatoes. Canned tomatoes work great and are super cost-effective, but you can also use fresh tomatoes if preferred.
  • Salt + Pepper – As much or as little as you like.
  • Fresh Basil – Some people like to add a little fresh basil. It’s not entirely authentic, but a little adds nice flavor.

Pot filled with homemade arrabbiata sauce.

How to make penne arrabbiata

Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions, subtracting at least 1-2 minutes from the total cook time. Drain and rinse (reserving at least 1 cup of starchy pasta water). Do not overcook.

Cook the red pepper flakes. Add the olive oil and butter to a large, deep sauté set over medium heat. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring continuously, for approximately 2 minutes. Cooking the red pepper flakes in olive oil and butter will deepen and distribute the flavor so much better than simply dumping them over the tomatoes.

Make the sauce. Add the onions and cook for 4-6 minutes, or until soft and translucent, stirring often. Add the minced garlic. Cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and tomatoes. Increase heat to medium-high. Mix in the tomato paste and cook, stirring continuously for approximately 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice and sugar and mix well to combine. Cook the sauce, mashing the tomatoes with a potato masher or wooden spoon. Allow the sauce to come to a low simmer. Reduce heat and allow the sauce to cook, uncovered, for approximately 25 minutes.

Season to taste. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and additional crushed red pepper flakes, if desired (see notes). Stir in the basil.

Combine pasta and serve. Add the cooked penne to the prepared pasta sauce and mix well to combine. If the sauce is too thick, slowly add the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce until desired consistency is reached. Serve with additional basil, if desired.

Large stock pot filled with cooked penne pasta.

Can I make Penne Arrabbiata ahead of time

Yes. Absolutely.

To make penne arrabbiata ahead of time successfully I recommend making the sauce as desired and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. If you do decide to mix your premade sauce with precooked noodles, 

  • Do not overcook the pasta. Cook just until al dente (or maybe a little less).
  • Wait for the sauce to cool before mixing with the penne. If the pasta and pasta sauce is still hot, the pasta will continue to cook after mixing which will ultimately result in soggy pasta noodles.

Premade sauce will store well in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop, adding additional water or broth to thin the sauce as needed.

You can also freeze leftover or premade arrabbiata – although I do recommend waiting to add the penne until ready to serve. Simply transfer the sauce to freezer-safe containers and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Mixing penne pasta with arrabbiata sauce.

What to serve with Penne all’Arrabbiata

I love serving penne arrabbiata with a light salad like this Balsamic Tomato Salad or easy Spinach Salad. If salad isn’t your thing, there’s always room for Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Asparagus, or yummy cooked Beets (which happen to be my personal favorite).

Need more protein you can always serve a bowl with,

  • Garlic Butter Steak Bites (reader favorite!)
  • Roast Chicken Recipe
  • Easy Baked Chicken Breasts (taste great with everything!)
  • Garlic Herb Lamb Chops (delicious alternative to beef or chicken)
  • Garlic Butter Pork Chops

Cooked penne pasta mixed with arrabbiata sauce in a deep pan.

More pasta recipes,

  • Pasta with Chickpeas Recipe (Pasta e Ceci)
  • Easy Pasta Primavera Recipe
  • Sun Dried Tomato + Basil Pesto Pasta with Shrimp
  • Instant Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe
  • 30 Minute Creamy Ham and Pea Pasta

If you try making this Penne all’Arrabbiata Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.

Small dinner plate filled with penne noodles tossed in homemade arrabbiata sauce.

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Small dinner plate filled with penne noodles tossed in homemade arrabbiata sauce.

Penne Arrabbiata Recipe

5 from 8 votes
Chef: Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked SpoonJessica Randhawa
Penne Arrabbiata is an easy and delicious Italian pasta dish made from simple ingredients including olive oil, garlic, dried red chili flakes, and tomatoes. Enjoy this irresistible, homemade Penne Arrabbiata Recipe with juicy baked chicken or meatballs for a complete, protein-packed dinner.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe Save Saved!
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Course Dinner, Pasta, Sauce
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 servings
Calories 349 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 pound penne pasta - cooked according to al dente with 1 cup reserved pasta water
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes - plus more or less to taste
  • 1 medium yellow onion - minced
  • 8 cloves garlic - minced
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
  • 2 teaspoon sugar - (optional)
  • salt + pepper - to taste
  • ¼ cup fresh basil - chiffonade
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Instructions
 

  • Cook pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions, subtracting at least 1-2 minutes from the cooking time. Drain and rinse (reserving at least 1 cup of starchy pasta water). Do not overcook.
  • Start the sauce. Add the olive oil and butter to a large, deep sauté set over medium heat. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring continuously, for approximately 2 minutes. Add the onions and mix well to combine. Cook for 4-6 minutes, or until soft and translucent, stirring often. Finally, add the minced garlic. Cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
  • Add the tomato paste and tomatoes. Increase heat to medium-high. Mix in the tomato paste and cook, stirring continuously for approximately 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice and sugar and mix well to combine.
  • Simmer. Cook the sauce, mashing the tomatoes with a potato masher or wooden spoon. Allow the sauce to come to a low simmer before reducing heat to low. Allow the sauce to cook, uncovered, for approximately 25 minutes, mashing occasionally as needed.
  • Season to taste. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and additional crushed red pepper flakes, if desired (see notes). Stir in the basil.
  • Combine. Add the cooked penne to the prepared pasta sauce and mix well to combine. If the sauce is too thick, slowly add the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce until desired consistency is reached. Serve with additional basil, if desired.

Jessica's Notes

Blend (optional). If you prefer a smoother sauce, transfer part, or all, of the sauce to a large blender and process until desired consistency is reached. For this recipe, I pulsed half of the sauce in the blender until smooth (but not soupy).

Nutritional Information

Calories: 349kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 71mg | Potassium: 291mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 529IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg

(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)

Keyword Penne Arrabbiata, Penne Arrabbiata Recipe
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About Jessica

Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon

Jessica Randhawa is the head chef, photographer, and recipe developer of The Forked Spoon. Jessica fell in love with cooking while traveling through Asia and Europe, where she discovered her passion for good food and new adventures. Her recipes have been featured on Yahoo, MSN, USA Today, FeedFeed, and many more. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California.

247 shares
Profile photo of chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon

About Jessica Randhawa

Jessica Randhawa is the head chef, photographer, and recipe developer of The Forked Spoon. Jessica fell in love with cooking while traveling through Asia and Europe, where she discovered her passion for good food and new adventures. Her recipes have been featured on Yahoo, MSN, USA Today, FeedFeed, and many more. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California.

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Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon

I’m Jessica! Aka mom, wife, chef, and travel-obsessed photographer. Welcome to The Forked Spoon. Here you can browse hundreds of incredible family-friendly recipes covering dozens of diets, courses, and cuisines. Learn more about me.

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