This quick and easy homemade arrabbiata pasta or penne arrabbiata as it is also known is quick to make for weeknight dinners, with no onion.

Quick & Easy Homemade Arrabbiata Pasta (no onion)

Name: Quick & Easy Homemade Arrabbiata Pasta (no onion)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 17 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon chilli flakes; 2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely grated (more if you like); 2 x 400g (14 oz) cans finely chopped (or crushed) tomatoes; 1 teaspoon sugar; 2 tablespoons tomato puree (tomato paste); 1 large handful fresh basil, shredded or torn; 1 pinch salt and black pepper; 400g penne

I love a fresh tomato sauce for pasta, but my regular tomato and basil sauce takes time, time to soften the onions, and then to let the sauce cook down until it's really rich.

But sometimes, I want something fresher and quicker and that's when this penne arrabbiata comes in.

The sauce is quick to make while the pasta cooks, so dinner is on the table in under 20 minutes from start to finish.

And no chopping!

Boy, sometimes it's a relief not to chop vegetables.

I seem to spend so much of my life chopping vegetables, but not when I make this delicious pasta sauce.

What is penne arrabbiata?

Penne all'arrabbiata or penne arriabbiata is a classic Italian pasta dish.

It originated in Rome (the capital city of Italy), which is in the Lazio region of Italy.

Chefs there would make this quick and simple pasta dish with a spicy kick after they had finished a long shift cooking for customers.

They needed something quick and easy after an exhausting dinner service.

The name arrabbiata means 'angry' in Italian, which refers to the hot chilli peppers used in the tomato sauce.

Is arrabbiata sauce the same as marinara sauce?

No marinara is a different sauce, which originates in Naples.

They are both tomato-based sauces, but the marinara sauce is cooked longer and it includes onions and red wine.

Marinara sauce is flavoured with oregano, rather than basil.

It's also used for American Italian dishes like spaghetti and meatballs (try my vegan 'meatballs) or a meatball sub (here's a vegan 'meatball' sub) and not just for pasta.

Quick Penne Arrabbiata in a shallow casserole pan.

Which type of chilli is used in arrabbiata?

When making arrabbiata, you can use fresh mild or hot chillies.

Alternatively, you can use chilli flakes (sometimes called red pepper flakes).

If you are using fresh chilli, removing the seeds will take away some of the heat, so decide carefully.

Just don't touch your eyes after you have touched those chillies or you'll soon know about it.

For this quick version of arrabbiata (some people spell it arrabiata, but it actually has two letter b's), I use chilli flakes.

How hot is arrabbiata?

The spice level of penne arrabbiata very much depends on the heat of the chillies and how much you add.

I added enough chilli flakes for a bit of heat, but not too overpowering.

Basically, because I am a wuss when it comes to spicy.

So it does leave a tingle in the mouth, but there's lots of flavour.

If you love spicy food, then feel free to add more.

Can you use fresh tomatoes?

Penne arrabbiata is usually made with canned tomatoes.

You could use fresh tomatoes for this Italian classic, if they were ripe and full of flavour, but you would need to remove the skin and chop them finely.

How to skin fresh tomatoes

To remove the skin from tomatoes, cut a large cross across the bottom of the tomato, through the skin, then pop them in a large bowl with boiling water.

Cover with a clean tea towel and leave for a few minutes, until the skin starts to peel away.

Carefully pour away the hot water and cover in cold water to cool, then take the tomatoes out one at a time and the skin should peel off easily.

Which type of tinned tomatoes are best to use?

For general cooking, when I'm cooking down a sauce or adding other ingredients, I use cheaper supermarket brand of canned tomatoes, or any that are on offer.

However, if tomato is the star of the show then I want some good quality tomatoes.

For this, I buy cans of Mutti tomatoes, which is a premium Italian brand.

Their best tomatoes are their san marzano tomatoes, but they can be hard to find.

So, I use their solo pomodoro finely chopped Italian tomatoes.

You may see the can says polpa, which translates to pulp, referring to the fact they are finely diced.

I use these when fresh tomatoes are out of season and not good, when I am making pan con tomate (pa amb tomaquet), which is an Italian mezze dish or for this spicy pasta.

Do you have to use penne?

Penne is the traditional pasta to use when making an arrabbiata.

However, rigatoni is a good option too as the ridges help hold onto the sauce.

Some people love it with spaghetti.

I have to admit I am a sucker for spaghetti with most sauce, but I do love this homemade tomato sauce the way they serve it in an Italian restaurant, with penne.

What you need to make this spicy sauce

Here are the simple ingredients you need to make this angry pasta, as they call it.

Make it for your next pasta night.

Olive oil
Chilli flakes
Fresh garlic cloves - some people use lots of garlic, but I just use a few cloves
Finely chopped tomatoes - tinned tomatoes
Sugar - just a little to sweeten the tomatoes
Tomato puree - optional, but adds depth of flavour
Fresh basil leaves - traditional arrabbiata sauce is often made with fresh parsley, but fresh basil adds a better flavour and is usually paired with tomatoes in Italy
Salt and black pepper - to season
Penne pasta

The full recipe card is below under the step-by step photos with a full ingredient list, method, notes and calories.

Quick and easy homemade arrabbiata sauce on penne.

How to serve pasta arrabbiata

As soon as the pasta is cooked, drain it and pour it into the sauce and mix well to combine.

Serve topped with vegan parmesan.

It's quite nice to add some shredded fresh basil when you serve it too, but this is optional.

And for an extra special dinner, make a batch of my easy vegan garlic bread.

I make it in my air fryer while the pasta cooks, but it can be baked in the oven too, it just takes a little longer

Can you make this spicy tomato sauce ahead?

You could make it ahead, but the joy of this sauce is that it cooks while the pasta cooks.

If you do make it ahead, then you can keep it in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

When you reheat it, you may want to add some of the pasta water (the pasta cooking water near the end of the cooking time) to loosen it up a bit.

Then serve it on freshly cooked al dente pasta.

Can you freeze homemade arrabbiata sauce?

Tomato sauces like arrabbiata freeze really well.

Once cool, freeze it in portions in labelled freezer bags or tubs.

To defrost, pop a portion in the fridge overnight, then reheat before serving.

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This quick and easy homemade arrabbiata pasta or penne arrabbiata as it is also known is quick to make for weeknight dinners, with no onion.

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How to make Homemade Arrabbiata Pasta
A step-by-step photo guide followed by a full printable recipe.

Step 1

While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large shallow pan or frying pan.
Add the chilli flakes and crushed garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes to allow the chilli and garlic to flavour the oil.
Pour in the finely chopped or crushed tomatoes.

Step 2

Give it a good stir.
Add the fresh basil and cook for a few minutes.
Add the sugar, tomato puree (if you're adding it) and season.
Once the pasta is cooked and al dente, drain, then pour into the sauce.

Step 3

Mix the pasta well into the sauce.
Serve topped with some more fresh basil and some vegan parmesan.
Enjoy!

penne arrabbiata, penne all'arrabbiata, spicy tomato pasta, arribiata pasta,, chilli tomato pasta

Dinner

Italian

Yield: 4

Author: Jacqueline Meldrum