I don’t typically think of Italian dishes when I’m craving something spicy but this pasta dish delivers some pleasing heat when you’re in the mood for something with some gusto. This pasta is not for the faint of heart, it packs a pleasing punch of spiciness that will definitely wake up your tastebuds. If you love that Italian tomato and garlic flavor profile, but crave something a little on the spicy side, you are going to love this easy to prepare Italian classic pasta dish.
This recipe uses all the classic Italian ingredients you expect. Tomatoes, garlic, Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley…they all come together to make this delicious classic pasta dish in just a few short minutes.
The unusual ingredient that gives this dish its punch of heat is the addition of red chili peppers. If I don’t have fresh peppers growing in my garden I pick them up at my local Asian market in the freezer section. Most major supermarkets will carry them. I always have these frozen peppers in the freezer. Because you never know when the mood to make this meal will strike.
Alright, let makes this delicious meal! Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil.
While you are waiting for the water to come to a rolling boil, chop the peppers into small pieces. Set aside.
You can adjust the heat by using 1-2 peppers. If you don’t have any spicy chili peppers on hand, substitute with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes.
Roughly chop the parsley and set aside.
Once the water comes to a boil, add a tablespoon of salt and stir. Add the Penne pasta and cook until al dente; about 8 minutes. For best results, follow the directions on the box.
While the pasta cooks, heat ¼ cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the whole garlic cloves. Cook for a minute or two, stirring to infuse all their flavors into the olive oil.
When the garlic starts to brown, remove it from the pan. It has imparted it’s delicious garlicky goodness and infused the oil.
Now it’s time to add the minced garlic and chili peppers to the pan and cook it until fragrant, about another minute.
Add the crushed tomatoes to the pan.
Add the chopped parsley. Heat until the sauce is hot and bubbly.
Season with salt and pepper. Simmer on low heat until pasta is ready.
Once the pasta has reached the al dente stage, use a slotted spoon to scoop the penne pasta from the boiling water and add it to the tomato sauce in the skillet.
Stir to combine, adding a ladle or two of the pasta water to the sauce in the skillet.
Allow the sauce to simmer for 2-3 minutes, to incorporate all the flavors together, coat the pasta, and thicken the sauce.
Add the remaining chopped parsley to the skillet.
Add half the shredded Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine all the ingredients and incorporate them into the sauce. You shouldn’t have a lot of extra sauce, it should mostly be coating the pasta.
To Serve:
Place the sauce coated pasta on a plate and drizzle with a little olive oil. Top with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and some freshly chopped parsley as a garnish to serve.
Our favorite accompaniments are freshly baked bread or breadsticks and a crisp green salad to round out the meal.
If you are feeling ambitious give baking an artisanal loaf of bread a try. It’s a lot easier than you think it is to Bake A Crusty Loaf of Artisanal French Bread like this one.
I love serving this pasta dish with a Rich & Creamy Caesar Salad With Crisp, Garlicky Toasted Croutons. It takes just a few quick minutes to make the best Caesar salad from scratch. It’s not only the best Caesar salad you will ever eat, but you know exactly what’s in it when you make it yourself. That’s always a better option than any bagged salad from the market. Once you make this salad you will never go back to the store bought kind again.
This is one of my favorite quick and easy weeknight pasta meals. It comes together in under 30 minutes, it’s made with wholesome, healthy, fresh ingredients, and it’s packed with all those lovely classic Italian flavors! You will never miss the meat when you serve this dish for dinner. If you’re in the mood for a spicy Italian meal, give this dish a try. You are going to love it!!! Scouts honor!
Penne Arrabbiata
Ingredients
- 1 lb Penne pasta
- 1 tbsp salt
- ¼ cup olive oil,
- 1 small chili pepper, minced with seeds
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, reserve some for garnish
- 3 cloves garlic, 1 cut in half, 2 minced
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water comes to a boil, add a tablespoon of salt and stir. Add the Penne pasta and cook until al dente.
- While the pasta cooks, heat ¼ cup olive oil in a large skillet.
- Add the chopped chili pepper and the garlic clove that's cut in half. Cook for a minute or two, stirring to infuse the flavors into the olive oil. Remove garlic cloves from the skillet.
- Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about another minute.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes. season with salt na pepper. Heat until sauce is hot and bubbly.
- Use a slotted spoon to scoop penne from the boiling water and add the pasta to the tomato sauce in the skillet.
- Stir to combine adding a ladle or two of the pasta water to the sauce in the skillet.
- Allow sauce to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Add remaining chopped parsley to the skillet and half the Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine all the ingredients and incorporate it into the sauce.
To Serve:
- Place the pasta with the sauce on a plate and drizzle with a little olive oil. Top with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and some freshly chopped parsley as a garnish to serve.
- Serve with freshly baked bread and a crisp green salad to round out the meal.
Did You Make This?
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