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Penne all’Arrabbiata

A fast, classic pasta sauce popular not only in Rome but throughout central and southern Italy. Arrabbiata means “angry,” and this sauce should be not only spicy but also strong, with the taste of garlic that has been browned, not just colored—as well as a good dose of chile.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 4 servings

Ingredients

Salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, cut into chunks or slices
4 to 6 small dried chiles or hot red pepper flakes to taste
2 pounds plum tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped, or one 28-ounce can plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 pound penne, ziti, or other cut pasta
Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish
Freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Put the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the garlic and chiles. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is browned, 5 minutes or so. Turn off the heat and wait a couple of minutes.

    Step 2

    If you want the dish very hot, leave some or all of the chiles in the skillet; otherwise, remove some or all of them. Turn the heat back to medium-high and add the tomatoes, along with some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes saucy, 10 to 15 minutes. (After about 5 minutes, you can start to cook the pasta.)

    Step 3

    Cook the pasta until it is tender but not mushy, then drain and sauce it. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then garnish with parsley and cheese and serve.

The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved. MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.
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