Penne all'arrabbiata

Penne all'arrabbiata is a Roman pasta dish of penne served with a tomato sauce flavoured with garlic and dried red chilli.

What it really is

The sauce is built on peeled tomatoes, garlic and dried red chilli cooked briefly in olive oil, with a little salt added. Garlic is softened in the oil, the chilli is added, then the tomatoes are simmered until thick enough to coat the pasta. Parsley is often added at the end. The pasta is cooked in salted water and finished in the sauce with some of its cooking water.

It differs from a basic tomato sauce for pasta mainly in the heat and the sharpness of the garlic and chilli. It is usually made without meat, cheese or cream. Versions with pancetta or cheese are found outside Rome and in many restaurants, but they are not the classic form.

How it's served

• Served hot as a first course (primo) in a shallow bowl.
• Eaten with a fork, sometimes with a spoon to catch the sauce.
• Usually without grated cheese, as cheese is not part of the classic dish.
• Served with a glass of red wine or sparkling water.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the main ingredients: penne, tomato, garlic, dried red chilli and olive oil.
• Mark the dish as containing WHEAT (pasta). Tomato-based sauces do not otherwise carry major allergens.
• State the heat level, as the chilli strength varies between kitchens.
• Say if pancetta, parmesan or parsley is added, since the classic version has none of these.