Penne Arrabiata is a classic Italian dish that originated in the Lazio region near Rome. In Italian, “arrabiata” means angry. “Angry” refers to the pasta being spicy and your face turning red like an angry person, just think angry face emoji. In Italy & all over the world, penne arrabiata is a very popular dish, mainly because it is one of the easiest and fastest dishes to make. You don't need much to make this recipe, just a few staple ingredients that you should have, at any given time, in your pantry and fridge. The sauce is a simple mixture of red, dried chillies, tomatoes, and garlic. You can't go wrong with putting those ingredients together! By the time you boil your pasta, this sauce will be ready. Perfect for those days when you're tired or just don’t have time. Even though this pasta is known for its spiciness, you can make it less spicy if that’s what you prefer, just adjust the amount of chili flakes. The aroma that will fill the kitchen while you are cooking the sauce will open your appetite and the taste won’t let you stop eating.
Ingredients:
1 pound penne pasta (or whatever pasta you prefer)
6 whole tomatoes, crushed or pureed
1 tablespoon dried red chili flakes
2 cloves of garlic, peeled & thinly sliced or finely minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pasta water* (See step 4)
Directions:
In a non-stick frying pan, add 6 to 8 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic and the chili peppers. Stir well with a wooden spoon for a couple of minutes.
When the garlic becomes golden and releases its aroma, add the the tomatoes.
Add some salt and cook the sauce for around 10/15 minutes.
In the meantime, bring a large pot full of salty water to a boil and cook pasta. When al dente, drain the pasta and keep 1/4 cup of the cooking water.
Add the pasta water to tomato sauce and let cook for 5 more minutes.
Transfer the pasta into the pan with the sauce and sauté over medium heat to combine the sauce and the pasta, approximately 1 or 2 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.
If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a photo and hashtag it #EATDRINKPLAYLA. I'd love to see how yours turned out!