The penne all’arrabbiata is one of the first recipes I prepared for this cooking blog, it is considered a simple dish with few ingredients.
If you are looking for an easy and quick pasta with a super result also read:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 2 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 415.53 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 70.08 (g) of which sugars 5.17 (g)
- Proteins 13.64 (g)
- Fat 10.69 (g) of which saturated 1.57 (g)of which unsaturated 0.90 (g)
- Fibers 3.93 (g)
- Sodium 397.66 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 150 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for 2 people
- 6.35 oz penne rigate
- 3 San Marzano tomatoes (ripe)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 fresh chili pepper
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 bunch parsley (fresh)
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper
Tools
- 1 Pot 4 qt
- 1 Pan 10 in
- 1 Knife
- 1 Chopping board
- 1 Spoon
Procedure
To make a good arrabbiata, the ingredients are important, which is why I recommend using ripe tomatoes or a good quality tomato puree.
If you have ripe tomatoes, first make a shallow cross cut on the base of the tomato (opposite side from where it is attached to the plant). It should be as shallow as possible.
Place the pot with water and salt on the heat and bring to a boil, when the water boils dip the scored tomato in the pot and boil for 10-20 seconds.
Cool the tomato using a bowl/colander, put them under cold water and peel off the skin.
Cut the tomato into cubes; fresh and ripe ones often have a lot of water, keep it as it is a concentrate of flavor and during cooking it will add taste to your sauce.
Cook the tomato pieces in a pan with 1 tablespoon of oil and a crushed garlic clove in its skin. Reduce the tomato, the water must evaporate leaving a thick sauce.
Cook the pasta in salted boiling water, and while the pasta is cooking, cut the chili pepper into strips and then into thin pieces, add it to the tomato.
To achieve the right balance, the chili pepper must be present but not numb the mouth; you should taste the flavor of the tomato!
When the pasta is halfway cooked (5-6 minutes), the cooking water should have become white and dense, it is the gluten. Take a couple of spoons of the cooking water and add them to the tomato and chili pepper.
Cook until the sauce has thickened again, if necessary add more tablespoons of cooking water.
To give a fresher and more summery touch, take fresh parsley leaves (or basil for a fresher note) and break them into pieces with your hands.
You can add the basil to the sauce while cooking or the parsley off the heat.
When the pasta is ready, drain it and toss it in the pan for 2 minutes, so it absorbs the flavor of the tomato and chili. Add the parsley off the heat, it should not cook but release its scent with the pasta’s warmth.
Your penne all’arrabbiata is ready!
Plating Tips:
If you want to give the dish a more original look, you can use rigatoni and create a geometric shape on the plate, forming a cube, a pyramid, or layers.
Wine Pairing with Penne all’Arrabbiata:
I suggest pairing penne all’arrabbiata with a medium-bodied red wine. For example, a Montepulciano D’Abruzzo or a Trebbiano di Romagna. If you prefer white wines, you can opt for a Riesling.
