Penne Arrabiata (Red Sauce Pasta)

Penne Arrabiata is a delicious zesty pasta made with tomatoes, basil, garlic and red chilli flakes. It is a yummy, flavour-packed, easy pasta recipe that you can make for lunch or dinner.

The red sauce pasta recipe shared here is vegetarian and can easily be made vegan and gluten free. It is also a great option for date night dinner or special occasions like valentine’s day, anniversary etc.

I have used penne pasta but other varieties like spaghetti, fusilli, farfalle or gluten free pasta can also be used. To make it even more wholesome, you can sneak in some vegetables like sautéed mushrooms, steamed broccoli, olives or spinach etc.

The sauce for the pasta has been made from scratch using fresh tomatoes but you can use canned tomatoes too.

What is Arrabita?

The word ‘Arrabbiata‘ is an Italian word which literally translates to ‘angry‘ in english. As the name suggests, the sauce in arrabiata pasta is fierce and spicy. For this spiciness, fresh red chillies or dried red chilli flakes are used while making this sauce.

The taste of spicy arrabiata pasta is enhanced by generous use of parmesan cheese. As the only dairy product in this recipe is parmesan, to make it vegan replace it with ‘vegan parmesan’ or nutritional yeast for cheesy taste.

My arrabiata pasta recipe here is inspired from the delectable (or must I say one of the best) red sauce pasta that I tried on my trip to Rome. It looked humble, simple yet tempting with a sprig of fresh basil on top, served with a small bowl of parmesan and bread on the sides.

I was pleasantly surprised how it tasted absolutely surreal with sweet-tangy, spicy flavours accompanied by subtle hints of garlic and fresh fragrant Italian basil. After coming back from there, my version of tomato pasta has totally changed & I have tried to get that same taste through this recipe.

As tomatoes make the base of this sauce, use fresh & firm red tomatoes. Nothing can beat the taste of authentic Italian Roma tomatoes but as we don’t get them everywhere, I would advice to use the best quality of tomatoes available near you. You can even use canned roma tomatoes.

Serving Suggestion: Penne Arrabbiata can be paired with cheesy garlic bread, oven roasted vegetables, air fryer veggies like this green beans parmesan or any green salad on sides.

All the ingredients & steps are explained in detail below. More vegetarian or vegan pasta recipes you might like:

• Cottage Cheese Pasta
• Béchamel Sauce Pasta
• Lemon Garlic  Butter Pasta
• Air fryer Feta Tomato Pasta
• Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

• Penne Pasta (uncooked)- 1 + 1/2 cups (~170 grams)
• Olive Oil- 2 tbsp
• Garlic Cloves- 2 to 3
• Red Chilli Flakes- 3/4 tsp
• Tomatoes (medium size)- 8 to 10 (~28 oz.)
• Tomato Puree- 3 tbsp
• Fresh Basil Leaves- 8 to 10
• Sugar- 1/2 tsp (optional)
• Salt- 1 tsp (or to taste)
• Black Pepper (crushed)- 1/2 tsp
• Parmesan*- 1/3 cup
• Water- For boiling

Substitutions / Additions:

1. *For vegan pasta, skip parmesan cheese or use vegan parmesan / nutritional yeast for cheesy taste.
2. If you have fresh red chillies, you can use them instead of dried red chilli flakes.
3. You can also add sautéed veggies of your choice likes mushrooms, broccoli, spinach & olives etc

Directions:

Step 1:

In this step we will blanch & peel the tomatoes. If you are using canned tomatoes, skip this step. Heat water in a deep pot. By the time the water is boiling, wash tomatoes thoroughly and make cross cut marks on the base of tomatoes using a sharp knife.

Once the water comes to boil, add these tomatoes to the boiling water for 30-40 seconds. Take them out & immediately dip in chilled water.

Step 2:

Start peeling the tomatoes once they cool down a bit. The cut marks help in removing the peels easily.

Step 3:

Chop off the top part of the tomatoes. Roughly chop them & if you notice too many seeds, remove them (It is alright if some are left also. We are doing this to avoid too many seeds in pasta sauce). Keep aside.

Step 4:

Heat olive oil in a pan. Chop the garlic cloves finely (or you can use garlic press). Add garlic and red chilli flakes to the oil. Sauté for 30-40 seconds till garlic becomes slightly golden and fragrant.

Step 5:

Add chopped tomatoes to this pan along with tomato puree, salt, sugar & black pepper. Mix well. Cover with a lid & let it simmer for 25-30 minutes. Stir in between. (If you are using canned tomatoes it takes lesser time)

While you are stirring, press the tomatoes with back of a spoon or masher to crush them. When the sauce begins to thicken up, start boiling the pasta. (Try to keep the timings such that the by the time our sauce is ready, the pasta is also boiled).

Step 6:

Take 4 to 5 cups of water in a big pot. Add 1 tsp salt to it & bring to boil. Add pasta to it. Cook it al-dente (follow the timings mentioned on the back of packet). Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water to use later.

Step 6:

The arrabiata sauce would be ready by now. Tear down the basil leaves and add it to sauce. Let it simmer for 2 more minutes. Taste and adjust salt or sugar as per your taste. (I like chunky pasta sauce so I have not blended it but if you want smooth sauce blend it using immersion blender).

Drain the cooked pasta & transfer it to the sauce. Add 1-2 tbsp of reserved pasta water (The starch in it helps the sauce stick to pasta). Toss the pasta gently in sauce & let it cook for 1 more minute. Switch off the flame and add some parmesan cheese.

Transfer it into serving bowls. Top up with more parmesan & garnish with basil leaves. Delicious penne arrabiata pasta is ready to serve.

(I have also added some oven roasted cherry tomatoes in this pasta, however they are completely optional.)

Notes:

How to oven roast cherry tomatoes in oven?

Wash 10-15 cherry tomatoes and cut them in half. Drizzle some olive oil, salt & black pepper on them. Bake at 150°C (300°F) for 20-25 min.

Can I make this pasta ahead of time?

If you mix pasta & sauce way ahead of time, the pasta tends to absorb all the sauce and eventually dries up. However I would recommend two options:

• Option I: Prepare arrabbiata sauce in advance. Boil the pasta just before serving & add it to the sauce.
• Option II: The second method is to boil the pasta, wash it under cold water and then toss with some olive oil (so that they don’t stick to one another). Prepare the sauce in advance and store in fridge. Just before serving, heat the sauce and mix it with boiled pasta.

How to know when the pasta is boiled?

Ideally the pasta should be boiled ‘Al-Dente‘ which means cooked only till there is a slight bite left to it. The pasta should not be over boiled as it will turn too soft & mushy. However everyone has their own preferences. Please refer to the back of the packet & follow the timings mentioned on it as every brand has their own set of instructions.

If you try this easy penne al’arrabiata recipe & share pics on social media, then don’t forget to tag us on Facebook, Instagram or use  #kuchpakrahahai.

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(5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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