This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more details.
Penne arrabbiata is one of the best Italian pasta dishes easy, fast, full of flavor, and budget friendly! All you need are some inexpensive wardrobe supplies and 20 minutes preparation time.
Published July 2021/updated June 2026
I wanted to share this recipe again with you all because it is just Big for busy weeknights. Together with me ricotta paste, pasta with olivesAnd cream cheese pastaPenne arrabbiata was one of my favorite staple foods as a college student.
Join my newsletter to get free weekly recipes!
Penne arrabbiata, spelled correctly “penne all’arrabbiata” (penne is angry), is a simple spicy pasta dish that is very popular in Italian cuisine, and is served quite often in trattoria: small rustic restaurants that you can find all over Italy.
The recipe is easy: pasta sauce made with canned tomatoes cooked with olive oil, garlic, and lots of chili flakes. Next, the sauce is mixed with pasta and fresh parsley or basil. Boom, dinner is ready!
And it budget friendlyA wind to prepareAnd very simple. But make no mistake simple to blandbecause of the delicious tomato paste sauce and spicy kick packing so many flavors that you will come back again!
This is a keeper my friend, easy and very satisfying at the end of a long day, especially when served with a small amount crusty panini bread or olive focaccia.
List of ingredients
- Pasta
- Canned whole tomatoes (or diced tomatoes)
- Garlic
- Chili flakes (same as crushed red chilies)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh parsley or fresh basil
- Salt & pepper
How to make a pen angry
(Note: this is a brief explanation; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page.)
- Gently fry the garlic and chili flakes in olive oil over medium-low heat.
- Add the canned tomatoes, salt and pepper and cook for 15 minutes.
- Mash tomatoes with a spoon, taste, and adjust seasoning.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot, drain, and place in the skillet. Add fresh parsley, stir to combine, and serve!
Recipe notes
Penne all’arrabbiata ingredients
Pasta: Traditionally, that is arrabbiata sauce served with penne rigate (with a jagged surface instead of smooth), but rigatoni and spaghetti work well. Choose premium quality pasta, preferably trafilata al bronzo (bronze cut), and cook until al dente. My favorite brand is Garofalo And Center.
Tomato: Good quality whole peeled tomatoes Good. They are fleshier and less runny than diced tomatoes, but finely chopped tomatoes with juice or diced tomatoes are fine, Also. My favorite brand of canned tomatoes is Mama.
Chili Flakes: Fresh or dried chili flakes (or crushed red chili flakes) are a must; adjust the amount according to taste until it reaches the desired level of spiciness, especially if serving it to children.
Herbs: Fresh parsley or basil can be used; both add a fresh herbal aroma to the hot sauce. But this is an easy recipe, so skip the fresh herbs if you don’t have any.
Cheese: Pecorino or Parmesan are common additions to this penne arrabbiata recipe; however, feel free to skip it, as the vegan option will taste just as delicious.
Storage tips
Leftover penne arrabbiata keeps well in the refrigerator 3-4 daysand you can reheat it in a pan with a little water or olive oil.
What is the difference between Arrabbiata sauce and Marinara sauce?
There are some minor differences between the two Italian sauce recipes.
That angry sauce is spicy and requires more chili than marinara sauce. Instead, marinara sauce more garlicky than spicy, using dried oregano instead of fresh herbs.
What does arrabbiata mean?
Italy said angry means angry. The spiciness of the chili sauce makes your face turn red like you’re angry!
What to serve with penne all’arrabbiata?
For a quick but delicious Italian meal, you can serve this penne arrabbiata with a tomato and onion salad or a tomato and cucumber salad. Alternatively, there are baked ones chicken, baked cod, or fried shrimp on the side it would be great to add protein to your diet.
Another quick Italian pasta recipe?
First things first, if you like this form of pasta, you may enjoy the collection of delicious penne pasta recipes featured Creamy penne And penne with pesto
and delicious baked penne packed with mozzarella.
If you are looking for Italian pasta dish ready in no time, I’ve shared a lot of great things pasta dish on blogs, including this popular one Quick & easy pasta recipe. Here are a few more:
If you make this penne all’arrabiata or have any questions, let me know! Leave a comment or rate. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
For more recipe updates, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me Instagram, PinterestAnd Facebook.
Penne all’Arrabbiata
Penne arrabbiata is definitely one of the best Italian pasta dishes that saves you dinner during busy weeknights. It is true easy, fast, full of flavor, and budget friendly!
Portion: 4
Calories: 287kcal
Pasta
- 8 oz (220 grams) penne (rigatoni or spaghetti are also okay)
Angry Sauce
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes or crushed red chilies, plus more according to taste
- 1 can (14oz/400 grams) canned whole tomatoes (diced is also okay)
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt, plus more according to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, enough
To serve
- 2-3 Tablespoon grated parmesan or pecorino cheese, optional
Arrabbiata sauce
-
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or sauté pan, and when it starts to boil, add the garlic and chili flakes. Cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 60 seconds. Make sure the garlic does not turn brown.
-
Add the canned tomatoes, salt and a pinch of black pepper and mix well. Let cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, until reduced slightly, breaking up the tomatoes all over with the back of a spoon. Stir occasionally.
-
While the sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and bring the pasta to a boil al dente.
-
Reserve about ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain.
-
Taste the arrabbiata sauce, adjust the seasoning to taste, then stir in the pasta and fresh parsley.
-
Stir until well mixed, adding a little of the remaining pasta cooking water if you want to thin the sauce.
-
Serve immediately with additional extra-virgin olive oil, if you wish, and additional parsley or grated Parmesan cheese, if desired. Enjoy.
Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrate: 46G | Proteins: 8G | Fat: 8G | Saturated fat: 1G | Polyunsaturated fats: 1G | Monounsaturated fats: 5G | Sodium: 450mg | Potassium: 331mg | Fiber: 3G | Sugar: 4G | vitamin A: 340IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 2mg
Join my newsletter to get free weekly recipes!
PakarPBN
A Private Blog Network (PBN) is a collection of websites that are controlled by a single individual or organization and used primarily to build backlinks to a “money site” in order to influence its ranking in search engines such as Google. The core idea behind a PBN is based on the importance of backlinks in Google’s ranking algorithm. Since Google views backlinks as signals of authority and trust, some website owners attempt to artificially create these signals through a controlled network of sites.
In a typical PBN setup, the owner acquires expired or aged domains that already have existing authority, backlinks, and history. These domains are rebuilt with new content and hosted separately, often using different IP addresses, hosting providers, themes, and ownership details to make them appear unrelated. Within the content published on these sites, links are strategically placed that point to the main website the owner wants to rank higher. By doing this, the owner attempts to pass link equity (also known as “link juice”) from the PBN sites to the target website.
The purpose of a PBN is to give the impression that the target website is naturally earning links from multiple independent sources. If done effectively, this can temporarily improve keyword rankings, increase organic visibility, and drive more traffic from search results.