Spicy Arrabiata Penne Recipe | Fast & Flavorful Italian Dish

Spicy Arrabiata Penne Recipe: When Dinner Needs to Bite Back – There are exactly two scenarios in which I make this arrabiata penne: when I’ve had a particularly frustrating day and need to take it out on some innocent red pepper flakes, or when the refrigerator is giving me that sad, empty look that says “you forgot to grocery shop again, didn’t you?” Luckily, this recipe excels in both situations.

Spicy Arrabiata Penne

Lumina Liu

A classic Italian pasta dish featuring penne in a spicy tomato sauce with garlic, red chili flakes, and fresh basil, topped with Parmigiano-Reggiano. This authentic arrabiata recipe delivers the perfect balance of heat and flavor for an easy yet impressive meal.

4.8 from votes

Prep Time 10 Minutes

Cook Time 15 Minutes

Total Time 25 Minutes

Course Vegetarian

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4 servings

Calories 450 calories kcal

Ingredients

 

• 1 pound penne rigate
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 6 leaves basil
• Parmigiano-Reggiano, for sprinkling

Instructions

 

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add kosher salt to the boiling water, then add the pasta. Cook according to the package instructions, about 9 minutes.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and heat until the oil starts to shimmer. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, red chile flakes, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the chopped basil.
3. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Garnish with Parmigiano-Reggiano flakes and more basil and serve warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 450.00 caloriesFat: 16.00 gCarbohydrates: 65.00 gFiber: 4.00 gProtein: 12.00 g

Keyword Spicy Arrabiata Penne, Pasta, Vegetarian, Italian, Spicy Pasta, Arrabiata Sauce, Penne Arrabiata, Tomato Pasta

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My love affair with arrabiata sauce (“angry sauce” for those who didn’t spend their college years pretending to be sophisticated about Italian cuisine) began during a particularly broke month in my twenties when pasta was essentially a food group.

I discovered that with a few pantry staples, I could create something that tasted like it came from a restaurant where they actually know your name—not because they’re friendly, but because you’ve been going there long enough to be considered furniture.

The Beautiful Simplicity of Arrabiata Sauce

Arrabiata sauce is the temperamental cousin in the Italian sauce family. While marinara is sweet and agreeable, arrabiata has opinions and isn’t afraid to express them.

The beauty of this sauce lies in its simplicity—just tomatoes, garlic, chili flakes, and a few herbs. It’s what I call a “back-pocket recipe”—something you can pull out when you’ve got nothing planned and hungry people staring at you expectantly.

Traditional to Rome and the surrounding Lazio region, arrabiata sauce gets its signature heat from red chili peppers.

The contrast between the sweet tomatoes and the spicy pepper flakes creates this perfect tension that makes each bite interesting.

And honestly, after a day when everything has gone sideways, there’s something immensely satisfying about a pasta that fights back a little.

The Perfect Spicy Arrabiata Penne Recipe

This spicy arrabiata penne recipe takes less than 30 minutes, dirties minimal dishes (a significant factor in my cooking decisions), and tastes like you’ve been simmering sauce all day. Here’s how to make it happen:

Ingredients

• 1 pound penne rigate
• 1/4 cup olive oil (the good stuff if you’ve got it, but Tuesday night olive oil works too)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes (adjust to your desired level of dinner table drama)
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 6 leaves fresh basil, plus more for garnish
• Parmigiano-Reggiano flakes for serving
• Salt and pepper to taste

Spicy Arrabiata Penne Recipe: The How-To

This is the step-by-step guide:

• Step 1: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. This is where I usually realize I’ve chosen a pot that’s too small and have to do an awkward water transfer, but I trust you’ll make better choices.
• Step 2: Salt the water generously. It should taste like the sea, or at least what I imagine the sea tastes like, because I’ve never actually tasted seawater intentionally.
• Step 3: Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions, about 9 minutes for al dente. I usually test a piece at 7 minutes because I have trust issues with pasta timing.
• Step 4: Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and heat until it starts to shimmer.
• Step 5: Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. This is not the moment to check Instagram—garlic goes from “perfectly golden” to “burnt offering” in approximately 2.7 seconds.
• Step 6: Add the chopped tomatoes, red chili flakes, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, letting those flavors get friendly with each other.
• Step 7: Remove from heat and stir in the chopped basil. Fresh basil is non-negotiable here—the dried stuff just doesn’t deliver the same bright punch.
• Step 8: Drain the pasta (but maybe save a little pasta water in case your sauce needs loosening) and add it directly to the sauce. Toss until every piece of pasta is coated in that spicy, garlicky goodness.
• Step 9: Serve in warm bowls, garnished with Parmigiano-Reggiano flakes and more fresh basil.

Making This Arrabiata Penne Recipe Your Own

What I love about this spicy arrabiata penne recipe is how adaptable it is. Here are some variations that keep it interesting every time I make it:

Heat Level Management

If you’re feeding people with varying spice tolerances (or children who look at pepper flakes as if you’ve sprinkled their food with tiny bits of betrayal), start with less chili and have a small dish of extra flakes at the table for the heat-seekers.

Sometimes I crush the red pepper flakes in my mortar and pestle for a more evenly distributed heat—though that assumes I remember where I put my mortar and pestle.

Vegetable Additions

This arrabiata penne recipe welcomes vegetables with open arms. Sometimes I sauté mushrooms with the garlic, or throw in a handful of spinach just before adding the pasta.

Roasted red peppers are also delicious here, adding a sweet smokiness that plays nicely with the heat.

Protein Options

While this is perfectly satisfying as a vegetarian dish, I’ve been known to add crumbled Italian sausage (browned before the garlic goes in) or even a can of drained white beans for extra protein.

The beans might not be traditional, but they’re delicious and turn this into a complete one-pot meal.

Arrabiata Penne: When Good Ingredients Make Great Food

What makes this arrabiata penne recipe work so well is that it relies on quality ingredients rather than complicated techniques.

Use the best canned tomatoes you can find—the ones from San Marzano are worth the splurge if you can get them. Fresh garlic (not the pre-minced stuff in jars) makes a noticeable difference.

But the real secret to great arrabiata sauce? The right amount of time. This isn’t a sauce that benefits from hours of simmering. Its charm is in the brightness of the tomatoes and the fresh punch of garlic and chili.

It’s quick, it’s direct, and it doesn’t apologize for its simplicity—qualities I aspire to in both cooking and life.

I sometimes think of this arrabiata penne as my culinary equivalent of a red lipstick—a classic that always works, requires minimal effort, but still feels like you made an occasion out of an ordinary Tuesday.

And unlike many things that claim to be simple, this one actually delivers.

So the next time your day needs a little spark, or your pantry seems to be running on empty, remember this spicy arrabiata penne recipe. It’s angry in all the right ways.