A simple tomato pasta sauce that has a kick of heat and plenty of flavour. This Penne Arrabbiata recipe shows that vegan food doesn't have to be boring or complicated. And it's ready in just 15 minutes!
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Step by step
One: Add the pasta to a pan of boiling water and simmer for 12 minutes.
Two: Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the chilli and garlic and cook on a low heat for 1-2 minutes.
Three: Add the chopped tomatoes and salt and pepper to the pan and stir well and simmer until the pasta is ready.
Four: Drain the pasta (reserving a little of the water) and add to the sauce along with the basil.
Five: Stir well and serve.
What is Arrabbiata?
Originating in the Lazio area of Rome in Italy, Arrabbiata sauce, also known as sugo all'arrabbiata, is a spicy sauce for pasta. It is made from garlic, tomatoes, and dried red chilies cooked in olive oil. The word Arrabbiata, literally translates to 'angry', so this is an angry (or spicy) sauce!
Why should you try it?
- Ready in 15 minutes
- Easy to make as spicy or mild as you like
- Simple, natural ingredients that you probably have in your cupboard
How spicy is it?
You can tell from the translation, 'angry sauce', that this is going to be spicy! Of course, you can adjust the amount of chilies that you put in to make it milder, but then it will only be an 'annoyed sauce', and that sounds silly! If you still want a tomato pasta sauce, without the kick of heat, try our Easy Tomato Pasta Sauce or Marinara recipes.
What to serve it with
This is a light and simple meal, but one with plenty of flavour, so just a sprinkling of grated Parmesan is really all that's needed. If you wanted to bulk it out with something else, or just add some protein, you could add some cooked chicken or prawns (shrimp). Keep it vegetarian by adding some cubes of grilled halloumi or, to keep it vegan, some tofu.
FAQs
Any pasta will work, but pasta is made in different shapes and sizes for a reason. The best is penne as the tube shape holds the sauce well and means you will have a tasty mouthful each time. Other good pastas for Arrabbiata are rigatoni, macaroni or paccheri. You can use fussili too, if that is all you have, but that pasta is better suited to thinner sauces.
This sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, if kept in an airtight container. To freeze, put in an airtight container and leave a gap of about 1cm (0.5 inch), before putting the lid on. Freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, defrost fully and then heat in a pan on the hob (stove top).
Extra tips
- You could adapt the amount of chilli though to suit more delicate pallets and make it kid friendly, but the whole point of this dish is for it to have a bit of a kick to it.
- A teaspoon of fish sauce in the recipe will add a real savoury depth to the sauce. This will no longer be vegetarian/vegan if you include this.
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Recipe
Penne Arrabbiata
Ingredients
- 140 g penne pasta
- 1 teaspoon dried red chilli flakes
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 400 g chopped tomatoes canned
- 2 tablespoon tomato puree
- 1 pinch sea salt and black pepper
- 4 tablespoon fresh basil finely chopped
- 15 g parmesan optional
Instructions
- Add the pasta to a pan of boiling water and simmer for 12 minutes.140 g penne pasta
- Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the chilli and garlic and cook on a low heat for 1-2 minutes.1 teaspoon dried red chilli flakes, 2 tablespoon olive oil, 3 garlic cloves
- Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and salt and pepper to the pan and stir well and simmer until the pasta is ready.400 g chopped tomatoes, 2 tablespoon tomato puree, 1 pinch sea salt and black pepper
- Drain the pasta (reserving a little of the water) and add to the sauce along with the basil.4 tablespoon fresh basil
- Stir well and serve topped with Parmesan.15 g parmesan
Notes
- You could adapt the amount of chilli though to suit more delicate pallets and make it kid friendly, but the whole point of this dish is for it to have a bit of a kick to it.
- A teaspoon of fish sauce in the recipe will add a real savoury depth to the sauce. This will no longer be vegetarian/vegan if you include this.
Charla
You can't go wrong with a bowl of penne arrabiata. Looking forward to making this on the weekend.
Sally Humeniuk
I love an easy but beautiful pasta dish and this is definitely that! Thanks for sharing.
Adrianne
I am a huge pasta fan, this looks delicious. I don't mind angry sauce haha. Can't wait to try it. YUM!
Elizabeth
What a gorgeous recipe, and super simple to make too! This is the kind of meal my kids LOVE!
veenaazmanov
Love that it is Vegan and yet so flavorful and delicious. I definitely have it made when my vegan friends are around. They to love it.
Farrah
As simple as this looks, it's AAASSSS yummy! What a great dish. Though I did go overboard and added red wine, tomato paste, extra garlic and a tiny bit of chicken bouillon powder to the pot while the tomatoes simmered. Didn't have any fresh red chilies, so just used pepper flakes instead. BUT WOW WOW WOW! Total calories in my dinner tonight: 505! Fantastic!
Laura Hartley
This is such a simple dish but it is one of my absolute favourites! The added garlic and chilli makes this pasta so much tastier :)
Mary
I love super simple, easy-to-prepare dishes like this. Like you say, perfect with a side salad as well! The rain has helped me to grow a large supply of lettuces and different leaves this year, although I'll still be waiting for my tomatoes a while yet. :(
Maria @ runningcupcake
I love something like this (although not too much chilli or garlic)- tomatoes and basil are a perfect match.
Emily Underworld
I love pasta so much, I'm going to have some penne tonight now thanks to this post!
Louise
I absolutely love any pasta based recipes so I think I'll have to make this! It looks super easy too x
Ali
I love a good old simple penne arrabiata. Great recipe and a great comfort food.
Helen @ Scrummy Lane
I've had a real craving for pasta these past few days, Dannii (must be all this wintery weather!), so this post caught my eye!
I have to remind myself not to forget about all these lovely simple Italian classics. I've never actually made this one - must do soon now that you've rated it so highly!
Kushigalu
Love such simple and delicious recipes ready in less than 30 minutes. Perfect for pasta lover like me
Alida
So delicious! As you might well imagine I am a pasta lover and arrabbiata is certainly a good recipe to make any day of the week!