Penne Arrabbiata in the UK: what it is, how to order it, where to find it
Quick answer
Penne all'arrabbiata is pasta in a tomato sauce made fiery with dried chilli and garlic. Arrabbiata means 'angry', for the heat. It is a Roman dish, quick and cheap, three or four ingredients, and it is the go-to order for someone who wants pasta with a kick. The good version is simple and sharp; the bad one is a bland tomato sauce with a token pinch of chilli.
Calories and nutrition
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 80 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Salt
- 1.8 g
430–620 kcal
Portion: One portion, about 320 g.
One of the leaner pasta dishes; no cream or meat in the classic.
Estimates for a typical portion, based on standard UK and USDA food composition data. Actual values depend on the recipe and the restaurant.
What arrabbiata is
Garlic and dried red chilli (peperoncino) are fried in olive oil, tomatoes are added and cooked down to a sauce, and penne is tossed through with a little pasta water and parsley or basil. That is all. No onion, no meat, no cream. The heat should be present but not silly, and the sauce should cling to the ridged penne, which is why penne rigate is the traditional shape. Some cooks finish it with pecorino, though the classic Roman version has no cheese.
How to judge it
It should taste of good tomato with a clean chilli heat and plenty of garlic, not of a jarred sauce with chilli flakes stirred in. The sauce should coat the pasta, not sit in a watery pool. A restaurant that makes it properly keeps it simple; if the menu describes arrabbiata with peppers, onions and herbs, it has drifted from the original.
Arrabbiata versus other tomato pastas
Pomodoro is a plain tomato sauce, no chilli. Amatriciana adds guanciale and pecorino to a chilli-tomato base. Puttanesca adds olives, capers and anchovy. Arrabbiata is the plainest of the spicy ones and the quickest to make. It is a good measure of a kitchen's basic tomato sauce.
Where it is done well in the UK
Any Italian restaurant with a Roman leaning should make it well; the independents in our directory are the place to look. The list below shows areas with the most Italian restaurants.
How to order it
Order arrabbiata when you want a simple, spicy tomato pasta; ask for it hotter if you like heat. It should taste of garlic and good tomato, not a jar. The classic has no cheese, though pecorino is offered in some places.
Where it's done well
UK councils with the most penne arrabbiata specialists, by restaurant name, in our directory.
Restaurants near you
Search by postcode or use your location to find restaurants likely to serve penne arrabbiata near you.
Make it at home
Serves 2 · 25 min
Ingredients
- 200 g penne rigate
- 400 g tinned San Marzano tomatoes, crushed
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 to 2 dried red chillies, crumbled
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- a handful of parsley or basil, salt
Method
- Cook the penne in well-salted water until al dente, keeping a little water.
- Meanwhile warm the olive oil with the garlic and chilli over medium heat until fragrant but not browned.
- Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt and simmer for ten minutes until thickened.
- Toss the drained pasta through the sauce with a splash of pasta water and the herbs. Serve at once.
Do not burn the garlic and chilli; take them just to fragrant. Good tinned tomatoes make the sauce; there is nothing else in it.