Pasta all'Arrabbiata

The Roman spicy tomato pasta. Arrabbiata means "angry" — the heat comes from dried chilli cooked in olive oil with garlic before the tomatoes go in. Same pantry as pasta al pomodoro, completely different character.

Ingredients (4 servings)

• 320g dry pasta (penne or rigatoni)
• 400g canned peeled tomatoes
• 15g garlic (3–4 cloves), lightly crushed
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3g dried chilli pepper (1–2 pods), crumbled

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta to 2 minutes less than package time.

2. Build the sauce Heat olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add crushed garlic and crumbled chilli. Cook 2–3 minutes until the garlic is golden and the oil is fragrant with heat. Do not let the garlic darken.

3. Add tomatoes Add the canned tomatoes. Break them up with a spoon. Season with salt. Simmer uncovered over medium-high heat for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and the raw tomato taste has cooked out.

4. Combine Drain the pasta, reserving 100ml pasta water. Add the pasta to the sauce. Toss over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, adding pasta water as needed to loosen. The sauce should coat the pasta, not pool at the bottom.

5. Serve Serve immediately. No cheese — arrabbiata is never served with Parmigiano.

Notes

The difference between arrabbiata and pasta al pomodoro is technique, not ingredients: the chilli and garlic are infused into the oil before the tomatoes arrive. This extraction step defines the dish. A flat addition of chilli to finished tomato sauce produces a different, inferior result.

The heat level is adjustable. Three grams of dried chilli is medium. Two grams is mild. Four grams is aggressively hot.

Cost Context

All five ingredients are pantry staples. At Italian supermarket prices (Q1 2025), total ingredient cost for four servings is approximately €1.75–1.85 — roughly €0.45 per serving. One of the most cost-efficient pasta dishes in the repertoire.