Penne Arrabbiata: Spicy Italian Pasta Dish with Simple Ingredients

When you think of penne arrabbiata, a fiery Italian pasta dish made with tomatoes, garlic, and dried chili peppers. Also known as arrabbiata sauce, it’s not just spicy—it’s full of flavor, quick to make, and built for busy nights when you want something real, not complicated. This isn’t fancy restaurant food. It’s the kind of dish that gets made in a small kitchen in Rome after a long day, using what’s already in the cupboard: canned tomatoes, a few cloves of garlic, some red pepper flakes, and olive oil. That’s it. No cream, no meat, no hidden ingredients. Just heat, acidity, and garlic singing together in a pot.

What makes arrabbiata different from other tomato sauces? It’s the chili, the key ingredient that gives the dish its name—'arrabbiata' means 'angry' in Italian. It’s not about overwhelming spice, but about a clean, sharp burn that wakes up the tomatoes and lets the garlic shine. You don’t need fresh chilies—dried red pepper flakes work perfectly, and most people keep them on hand. The sauce comes together in under 20 minutes, which is why it shows up so often in quick dinner posts. It pairs naturally with penne, a tube-shaped pasta that holds sauce better than spaghetti. But you can use rigatoni, ziti, or even fusilli if that’s what’s in the pantry. It’s also a great base if you want to add protein—crumbled sausage, grilled chicken, or even white beans turn it into a full meal without losing its soul.

People who love this dish usually don’t need a lot of extras. A sprinkle of parsley, a drizzle of good olive oil at the end, maybe a pinch of salt if the tomatoes aren’t salty enough. That’s the beauty of it. You won’t find this in a list of superfoods or keto meals, but you will find it in every collection of quick dinners and pantry staples. It’s the kind of recipe that shows up when someone’s got nothing in the fridge but tomatoes and pasta—and still wants to eat something that feels like a real meal. The posts below cover everything from how to adjust the heat level for kids, to how to make a big batch and freeze it, to what wines go best with it. You’ll see how it fits into fast lunch ideas, last-minute dinners, and even how to stretch it with beans or veggies if you’re cooking on a budget. No fluff. No overcomplicated steps. Just how to make penne arrabbiata taste like it came from a trattoria—even if you made it in your kitchen at 7 p.m. on a Tuesday.