Penne Arrabbiata Recipe

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.

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition