Pasta all’arrabbiata is a vegetable pasta with spicy tomato sauce. This simple but rich flavoured pasta gets its name from a traditional Roman spicy tomato sauce called Arrabbiata.
Did you know?
Did you know?
Arrabbiata is Italian and means angry so Pasta all’arrabbiata is sometimes mistakenly referred to as “angry pasta”.
1
Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the garlic over medium-high heat. When the garlic is aromatic, remove from the pan and discard. Add the tomato paste and the crushed red peppers and reduce the heat to low. Stir until fragrant, about 4 minutes, and stir in the tomatoes. Simmer the sauce over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until it is slightly reduced, about 8 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt.
2
In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil, and season generously with salt. Add the pasta and cook two minutes less than the package instructions or just before al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving the cooking water. Drop the pasta in the sauce, tossing coat the pasta evenly with the sauce. Allow the pasta to cook in the sauce for 1 to 2 minutes. If needed, add a small amount of the cooking water to the pan to loosen up the pasta.
3
When al dente, plate the pasta, and top with the freshly-grated cheese and shredded basil. Serve Pasta all'arrabbiata immediately.
Pasta all’Arrabbiata is a simple yet flavorful Italian pasta dish. What makes it special is its spicy tomato sauce, traditionally made with tomatoes, garlic and dried red chili peppers. In fact, it is the heat of the chili peppers that gives Pasta all’Arrabbiata its distinctive name. Arrabbiata means “angry” in Italian, a playful reference to the fiery sauce that can leave your face a little red.
The pasta most commonly used for Pasta all’Arrabbiata is penne, although rigatoni and ziti rigati also pair beautifully with the sauce. Traditionally served as a primo piatto, or first course, Pasta all’Arrabbiata takes around 30 minutes to prepare, making it an excellent choice for a quick and flavorful everyday dinner.
Alongside chili peppers, tomatoes are at the heart of the flavor of Pasta all’Arrabbiata. In our version, we combine Mutti Cherry Tomatoes with Mutti Double Concentrated Tomato Paste to create a sauce with a rich, intense tomato flavor. The cherry tomatoes bring natural sweetness and a satisfying texture, while the tomato paste adds depth and enhances the overall intensity of the sauce.
While Pasta all’Arrabbiata may not be as internationally famous as some other Italian pasta dishes, it has also made its mark on Italian cinema. The dish appears in Marco Ferreri’s La Grande Bouffe and Federico Fellini’s Roma, two celebrated films that have helped bring this Roman classic to the screen.
